Why One Harbor
A "One" Place
Why "One" and not "The Harbor?" The moment we become "The..." we begin to align ourselves with a long line of exclusive people who arrogantly assumed they had it all figured out. This often distracts us by bringing in competion towards others who are really on the same team. Also, a Harbor is not a lake with a dock. By definition, it must be part of a larger body of water. God and His Spirit are the only hope we have of maintaining true unity as we overcome our innate selfishness. We are admittedly part of something WAY bigger than ourselves when we join the Kingdom of God. We constantly fight the notion to close the inlet and become our own little swamp.
“You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12 (The Message)
An Orderly Place
Anyone who has ever been in a harbor has seen signs indicating "No Wake Zones." Sure, in our youth, we are frustrated by the notion that someone can tell us how to behave. But as we mature, we all know that these rules are for our good and for the good of others. The same is true in the church. God has not left us with the freedom to behave however we feel. He has provided the Bible which is unapologetically our blueprint for how we live all aspects of our lives. He has also given leadership to the church as a gift to make her ready for His return. When, because of previous hurt or disappointment, we abandon God's leadership over our lives and become "lone rangers," we are like rivers without banks and only chaos and disaster will be the result.
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”- Ephesians 4:11-13
A Deep Place
I’ve had the privilege of snorkeling on some of the world’s best reefs, but I have heard that nothing compares to diving. The instant gratification is found in the reef, but much further below is where the most captivating views lie. Depth is by nature intimidating. That’s why so many of us choose to stick to the shallow waters in our relationships with our spouses, family, friends and even God. Why? Often times we are paralyzed by our fear. In a harbor, the water must be deep enough for anchorage and for large capacity ships to come in and out. Just the same in the church. We want to be deep people and we desire to know the depth of who God is and what He is on about. Put away the snorkel!
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”- Philippians 1:9-11
A Safe Place
Ask most people in America and they probably wouldn’t describe the church as “safe.” A harbor must have walls that provide protection from winds, waves and currents. This is necessary in the church because community is God’s answer to the brutality of life’s circumstances and the enemy’s attacks. Those who lead must also ensure that the people will not have to face the same winds and waves inside the harbor that they do outside it’s walls.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."- Matthew 11:28-30
An Active Place
By definition, Harbors are a safe place for sending and receiving. The church is meant to be an active place where there is constant going and coming. We are meant to explore the world as we seek to meet and serve our global neighbors. In addition, we love others to come in and bring us much needed perspective. Life is boring if we never leave the harbor and no one ever comes to visit.
A Humble Place
Have you ever seen a gold harbor? Probably not. The harbor doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective. Also, despite the “No Wake Zone” signs, the harbor is not without a little wake. In the church, we have to understand that we are not, nor will we ever be perfect. We cannot commit to perfect glass, because no matter how hard we try, wake will come. This all is God’s way of keeping us humble.
A Fun Place
It’s not all work in the harbor’s waters. Plenty of fun happens as well. One of my good friends always says, “The 11th Commandment is, “Thou shalt have fun in the Kingdom of God!” Too often we overlook this and think that God is most pleased with us when we are really serious. Joy and laughter are not a result of planned events only, but are a culture in Kingdom Community.
