Each week (usually Wednesday afternoon), I send out a letter to the congregation at West Franklin. It’s a tiny way I hope to shepherd them during the week. Perhaps it might encourage, help, or challenge you as well.
West Franklin Family,
Sunday morning, one of you approached me to confess a sin. You seemed a bit nervous, but you felt you needed to admit to doing something you regret. Since the offense involved me, you felt the need to come clean. From my perspective, it wasn’t a big deal. Did I appreciate the confession? Of course. Did it impact our relationship? No way. Again, to me, it wasn’t a big deal. I hope you can put the incident in the rearview mirror and move forward.
Tuesday, I had a conversation with someone who experienced our Sunday worship service for the first time. When I pressed about their time at West Franklin, the response was “I felt safe.” I asked them to expound on that word “safe.” I wanted to know what they meant. This person said they felt like it was okay to be themselves, to be vulnerable, to be real.
I cannot fully express the joy this gives me. The fact that one of you felt safe to approach me on Sunday to admit a wrongdoing is a big deal to me. I want you to feel like I am safe space for any, and all of you. And the very fact that someone, experiencing our church for the first time, used the phrase “I felt safe” to describe their time with us? Huge. I am eager for West Franklin to be a place where all of us feel the freedom to be real.
If you think about it, pretending we aren’t sinners who struggle completely contradicts who we claim to actually be. One cannot become or be a Christian without acknowledging they are a helpless sinner in need of a sufficient Savior. Acting like we are “okay” and without need of help flies in the face of what a Christian confesses. Having someone approach me to confess a sin and another who felt safe enough to be vulnerable is, in reality, who and what the church is composed of. The church, in many ways, should be more like an AA meeting. “Hello, my name is Matt Pearson and I am a desperate sinner in need of Savior.” This is who we are, right? So why pretend otherwise? When we observe the Lord’s Supper we, in unison, lift a cup to drink. As our arms go up, our mouths open, our throat swallows, and arms descend – we are saying together – “our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” In other words, we all need help and the church is a safe place to come clean with it.
West Franklin should be a place, a people, where the expectation is to be real. Where vulnerability is the order of the day. To anticipate confession. To be free to admit wrongdoing, knowing you won’t be shamed, ridiculed, or treated with anything other than love and a grace-filled embrace. We shouldn’t be a people who tolerate or celebrate sin. No way. Rather, we celebrate those who acknowledge need and see Jesus as their only way to freedom and genuine joy. We believe our Father runs to us, even at our worst (see story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15). We, as His children, do the same for one another.
I pray that the admission of sin and being a safe place is the norm for us. Not to be trendy. Not because it might be cool to be vulnerable. But because it is what the Gospel of Jesus does to people.
Safe and Secure from All Alarm,
Pastor Matt
P.S. Our team on the ground in South Asia is experiencing unique and powerful kingdom movements. I am eager for you to hear more. Please continue to pray for them as they wrap up a week of Gospel ministry.