Family Meeting

January 16, 2012

We Got Issues!

Did your family ever have a “family meeting?”  You know what I mean, right?  Generally Mom or Dad had an issue (or “thought” that the kids had issues).  So they would call a family meeting to make sure that everyone and everything was clear on that issue.  That meant we would hear from them and know what to expect going forward.  Some parents were likely better than others in inviting all opinions to be heard.  But either way, in the end there wouldn’t be any doubts.  We would be united in vision and purpose (and sometimes, often for effect, there was an “or else”). 

Maybe you’re a Mom or Dad and have hosted one of these family meetings.  They’re supposed to be purposeful.  They’re expected to create change.  They’re designed to take us to another level as a family.  They should take us from a place of dysfunction (in varying degrees) to a healthier place…that is, if we’re willing to sign up in heart and not just in feigned agreement (hoping just to get the meeting to end).  Family meetings can be a very powerful tool.

God’s Family Meetings

God calls family meetings, too.  His children get off target, and His desire is to see change – for our benefit not our cursing.  He wants the best for us, but we need to stay on track.  His family meetings are called Sacred Assemblies and are intended to get us back on track, too.

“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”  Rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.  Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. 

Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast.  Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.  Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar.  Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD.  Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”                                                                      (Joel 2:12-17, emphasis mine)

Greater New Orleans – A Sacred Assembly

Have you ever wondered what the type of family meeting that Joel describes might look like?  I’m not talking about going to church.  I’m talking about coming together as a family before the Lord.

Ø  A family that is African-American, Caucasian, Latino, and more. 

Ø  A family that stretches from 2-year old toddlers to 80-year olds filled with wisdom. 

Ø  A family that includes people that express themselves in radically different ways. 

Ø  A meeting where we sit in silence and listen for the Lord to speak. 

Ø  A meeting where 350 people read different chapters of the Bible aloud at the same time so that we quickly speak the entire word of God over your region. 

Ø  A meeting where 350 people are praying at the same time (and not just someone upfront)

Ø  A meeting where none of the leaders are introduced with their many titles – they all stayed behind the veil so that Christ alone would be seen.

Ø  A meeting where we proclaim over a city 3 times to return to God.

Well, if you were in New Orleans on the morning of Saturday, January 7, you didn’t have to wonder any more.  You had the opportunity to see just such a family meeting up close and personal.  It was incredible to say the least.  We had prayers raised up in several languages.  The diversity in the room looked just like most families – everyone brought their own personality, but before the Lord, we were and are united.  In fact, after the assembly had ended, one Pastor commented to me, ““This is more like church than anything that might go on during most Sunday mornings.”  The unity demonstrated that morning was nothing more than heaven-sent.  The divisions were nearly invisible and those that weren’t, no one gave any merit to anyway.  That shared heart has come from the growth of the united Church here in New Orleans and we’re pleased that God has allowed us to be a part of the growth here. 

In our early years of ministry, we moved EVERY year.  We still evaluate our assignment every year in prayer as well as in discussion with our Board.  Continuing to return for several years now to New Orleans has often given me pause to think, “Is this where we’re still to be, Lord?”  “And for this long?”  Some of you may have even asked that about us during our multi-year stay.  On that Saturday though, I put to bed most of those types of questions.  I will share a text that I received from a Pastor on Saturday.  I share it not in a proud way, but a thankful way – thankful to each of you who has prayed a prayer for us, sent a dollar to support us, or spoke a word of encouragement to us.  This feedback is for you, too!  The Pastor  said, “Great day.  Thanks for all you do to make things go so smoothly.  You are such a part of this city and the Church of New Orleans.  Your whole family is.  We thank God for all of you.”

We’re at a Good Place as a “Family”

I’ve previously shared that the Pastors Coalition has adopted a focus for this year of “Return to God.”  We are holding Zechariah 1:3 before us:  Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Return to me,” declares the LORD Almighty, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.

After the Sacred Assembly, I received a call from a lady who was unable to make it to the gathering (and totally disappointed once she heard all that had gone on).  Anyway, she shared that after Katrina when she and her husband drove back over a bridge into New Orleans, the Lord spoke to her that “New Orleans will never be the same again; it will be called the City of God.”  I got chills as she shared.  But that’s why we’re here.  We are expecting the Lord to do things here in people’s lives that you and I wouldn’t even consider or imagine.  Saturday’s family meeting was great, but there’s more to come!

Two other things that deserve at least a quick mention now, and I’m sure will receive more attention in the future.  1) The Prayer & Planning team of the GNO Pastors Coalition is considering participating in a collaboration of City Movements – cities around the country where the united Church is rising up and seeking to see their cities reclaimed for God.   We’re in the early stages of our prayer and discussions, but we will see where the Lord leads.  2) Also on January 7, the start of a 24/7 prayer base in New Orleans was launched.  Barb was beside herself with joy.  The leaders seem truly humble and passionate about seeing prayer as central to what will happen here.

Good things are on the horizon….. (so more later)

From one part of the Family to another,

Paul, Barb, Andrew, Josiah, & Daniel Malinich

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