*** I’ve jumped up to an entry from today’s journal as we finish up this strange year of 2020 ***
For some, this year 2020 has been a kind of “reboot” in understanding what my church will look like in the future. For others, this year has only been a year of difficulty and disappointment. The first group will look upon this year as the beginning of many new things while the second group will only see this year as a pause before continuing to do what they have always done. This year will one day be seen as a crossroads where my church went in two very different directions: one direction will lead to fully embracing the concept of a nationalistic church that sees America as my kingdom and politics as the way to achieve power in my kingdom. The second group will discover what it means to die to self so that many seeds might be sown. Power will be seen only in the context of serving and the values of this group will be turned upside down. As this year comes to an end, I would have my children ask themselves this all-important question, “who will I serve?” For you cannot serve two masters. It is vitally important that you see the new year of 2021 not as a resumption of life as it was, but as a restoration of what I’ve always intended my church to be.
— December 31, 2020