The Miracle of our Church’s Growth is Cloaked in our Vulnerability
By Shontea L. Smith, 2ndEpiscopal District
The idea of whether God still performs miracles on earth is debatable in some Evangelical circles of Christianity. God (and life), however, has helped me to recognize that there is nothing that is outside of the fullness of God. Therefore, it is time that we, as believers, begin to publicly assert that the miracles of God are all around us. God, however, is waiting for us to be vulnerable enough to recognize the miracles God performs in our individual lives so that we can share our stories in real and relevant ways with those we encounter.
Our miracles are tethered to our vulnerability and ability to clothe ourselves with a garment of praise and worship in the midst of adversity. However, our quest towards the recognition of those miracles begins with truthful assessments of our individual and collective situations. This posture allows Jesus to see us as broken vessels. It is through this vulnerability that God does what we need to carry us to the purposes and plans necessary for us to live victorious lives.
In this vulnerability, we must be willing to do something different. Doing something different means we must cultivate new habits if we truly want new results. The miracles God seeks to provide us are actualized in our willingness to change. God provides the ability to change because things that do not change die. Our ability to recognize miracles are tied to our receptivity to the inward workings of the Holy Spirit. We are the beginning of the change we want to see in the world. We must cultivate an attitude of gratitude in the midst of turbulent times while also “keeping it real.”
The community is a part of God’s plan. Therefore, we—as believers—must be willing to leave the four walls of the church in our evangelism efforts. Our faith in the growth of our church will not occur through osmosis. Our faith must be exercised by going into our communities.
God cannot do a new thing in the lives of believers or within our communities when we think we know all there is to know about God. In other words, God cannot do a new thing when we are too familiar with how we think God can perform a miracle in our lives. The miracles that God performs in the lives of believers and unbelievers are present in the uncanny. We must be willing to acknowledge that we do not know everything about God or the things of God.
We must be willing to operate differently. We must be willing to use new methods in our worship services and as we witness to others. Change is the only constant that is present for those who seek to lead victorious lives. Therefore, if our houses of worship hope to have youth, young adults, or the “unchurched” attend our Sunday morning worship services, we must begin to speak their language. Various aesthetics, mediums, and forms of media should be used to engage populations not well-versed in traditional worship protocols. We must be open to switching the norms of the services to engage different learning styles. We cannot fear change if we seek to fulfill God’s call and have people of all walks of life attend services.
The only miracles that we are not able to receive from God are the ones that we are not willing to move out of our comfort zones to receive. God has given us a mission to “go” and personal stories to share what we have overcome; therefore, we cannot allow fear of the unknown to hinder us from leading with vulnerability. Remember, Christ must center all we do inside and outside the church. We must learn to become intergenerational bridge-builders if we want to receive the miracle of growth in our churches. We cannot allow conversations regarding doctrines or traditions to prevent us from remembering and applying the principles taught in the Bible. We must remember that the Holy Spirit is given to empower us to empower others and not to place limits on others.
Shontea L. Smith is a scholar, entrepreneur, and presenter who is passionate about Christian Education. Shontea serves at St. Paul AME Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a graduate of Duke Divinity School, where she earned a Master of Theological Studies, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned a Master of Religious Studies, along with Graduate Certificates in Africana Studies from both schools. She is the mother of one son, LaMar Asim.
This photo is used with permission from Brother Dontavius Sanders
