First Notes: Don't Be Like the Dead Sea
Dear First Baptist Family,
When I have taken pilgrimage groups to Israel, one of the highlights has been floating in the Dead Sea. The water is extra-salty — about 9 or 10 times saltier than ocean water — and so dense that it’s nearly impossible to sink. The caustic, oily water stings your lips and God forbid if you ever get some in your eyes.
It’s called the Dead Sea because no fish, plants, or other visible marine life can survive the hypersaline environment. But there’s an additional reason it’s called “dead”: the Jordan River flows into it, but there is no natural way to flow out. Lots of input, but no output. The Dead Sea is shrinking by about 3-4 feet every year. It may not be completely dead yet, but could be as soon as 2050.
A lot of people are like the Dead Sea. They’re breathing, but their souls are characterized by spiritual deadness. You can see it in their eyes and pick up on it in their attitudes. There’s no spark or passion. Apathy has taken over. When a dead soul hears of suffering children, global injustices, or simply the struggles of their neighbor next door, there’s little concern that leads to action.
A fast-paced, mechanized society dehumanizes relationships and leads to an emotional and spiritual vacancy. People may chase more and more possessions, popularity, and position, but nothing will satisfy the bottomless hole in their souls.
You may look in the mirror and recognize a little or a lot of spiritual deadness. You were made for life — real, abundant life — but you see someone staring back at you who is under-living.
There’s good news for you. The antidote to deadness is cultivating a daily, spiritual center with an active, compassionate concern for others. You need the input of God’s word, prayer, and genuine community, which leads to a strong, sustained belief in Jesus. From that spiritual core, you then move out into life-giving, everyday service toward others. That kind of life is able to resist passive, cultural conformity.
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38, ESV). Notice that Jesus said the living water would flow out of you, not into you. The Spirit will certainly fill you to the brim, but the life-giving water is for the benefit of others. He’s talking about the Holy Spirit bubbling within your heart and overflowing to the world.
You may be breathing, but that isn’t what makes you really alive. What makes you really alive is when the ever-flowing stream of God’s mercy and joy are present in your mind and heart. True freedom in Christ makes you alive.
I thought a lot during my sabbatical about how to live as a stream of living water. That's what I want for our church. I want our church to be like an overflowing stream as we are nourished by the living water of God and freely offer it to others with every opportunity we have.
I'm excited to be back. I hope you can see my enthusiasm and hopefulness for our church in the future. I loved looking out this past Sunday and seeing so many new faces that I look forward to getting to know. Our leaders, including our staff, did an amazing job while I was gone, and I'm ready to get back to work with you. Together we're going to see our church flourish as we help people find and follow Jesus.
As we journey together, don’t be like the Dead Sea. Be open to life. Be open to the Spirit. Let it flow into and out of you today.
With love,
Pastor Brent McDougal
P.S. Don’t forget about Friends and Family Sunday this Sunday, September 27th. We will have one worship service at 11am (we will have Sunday School, too) and then join together for a free fellowship meal on the front lawn. Invite a friend or family member to join us for this fun day of celebration.
When I have taken pilgrimage groups to Israel, one of the highlights has been floating in the Dead Sea. The water is extra-salty — about 9 or 10 times saltier than ocean water — and so dense that it’s nearly impossible to sink. The caustic, oily water stings your lips and God forbid if you ever get some in your eyes.
It’s called the Dead Sea because no fish, plants, or other visible marine life can survive the hypersaline environment. But there’s an additional reason it’s called “dead”: the Jordan River flows into it, but there is no natural way to flow out. Lots of input, but no output. The Dead Sea is shrinking by about 3-4 feet every year. It may not be completely dead yet, but could be as soon as 2050.
A lot of people are like the Dead Sea. They’re breathing, but their souls are characterized by spiritual deadness. You can see it in their eyes and pick up on it in their attitudes. There’s no spark or passion. Apathy has taken over. When a dead soul hears of suffering children, global injustices, or simply the struggles of their neighbor next door, there’s little concern that leads to action.
A fast-paced, mechanized society dehumanizes relationships and leads to an emotional and spiritual vacancy. People may chase more and more possessions, popularity, and position, but nothing will satisfy the bottomless hole in their souls.
You may look in the mirror and recognize a little or a lot of spiritual deadness. You were made for life — real, abundant life — but you see someone staring back at you who is under-living.
There’s good news for you. The antidote to deadness is cultivating a daily, spiritual center with an active, compassionate concern for others. You need the input of God’s word, prayer, and genuine community, which leads to a strong, sustained belief in Jesus. From that spiritual core, you then move out into life-giving, everyday service toward others. That kind of life is able to resist passive, cultural conformity.
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38, ESV). Notice that Jesus said the living water would flow out of you, not into you. The Spirit will certainly fill you to the brim, but the life-giving water is for the benefit of others. He’s talking about the Holy Spirit bubbling within your heart and overflowing to the world.
You may be breathing, but that isn’t what makes you really alive. What makes you really alive is when the ever-flowing stream of God’s mercy and joy are present in your mind and heart. True freedom in Christ makes you alive.
I thought a lot during my sabbatical about how to live as a stream of living water. That's what I want for our church. I want our church to be like an overflowing stream as we are nourished by the living water of God and freely offer it to others with every opportunity we have.
I'm excited to be back. I hope you can see my enthusiasm and hopefulness for our church in the future. I loved looking out this past Sunday and seeing so many new faces that I look forward to getting to know. Our leaders, including our staff, did an amazing job while I was gone, and I'm ready to get back to work with you. Together we're going to see our church flourish as we help people find and follow Jesus.
As we journey together, don’t be like the Dead Sea. Be open to life. Be open to the Spirit. Let it flow into and out of you today.
With love,
Pastor Brent McDougal
P.S. Don’t forget about Friends and Family Sunday this Sunday, September 27th. We will have one worship service at 11am (we will have Sunday School, too) and then join together for a free fellowship meal on the front lawn. Invite a friend or family member to join us for this fun day of celebration.
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