Someone recently told me that they always pick a word to be “their word” for the year. It had never occurred to me to do that. However, IF I chose a “word” for this year, 2019, I’d choose the word “zeal.”
Zeal is one of those words that seems to have been dropped from common use in our times. At least I rarely, if ever, hear anyone using it. Although, I did hear Nigerian Archbishop Ben Kwashi use it in a recent interview with Canon Ashey in one of our Anglican Perspective videos. I thought, “right on, they still talk about zeal in Nigeria and their churches are growing. Maybe we need more zeal if we are going to see more of our churches revitalized.”
So, what is zeal? The definition is: “fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.” Besides the fact that I don’t know what “ardor” means, I think the parts of that definition that apply to those of us seeking to grow local churches are: “fervor for a person, cause” and “enthusiastic diligence.”
Wouldn’t it be helpful if we all had more fervor for Jesus (a person) and the Great Commission (a cause)? Ho-Hum, going through the motions religion isn’t going to grow any church. At best it will maintain, but that’s even unlikely. Why would anyone who doesn’t know Jesus want to come to your church if you aren’t even that excited about Jesus and his mission? I’m reminded of what Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15-16 NIV) Ouch! I suppose being cold is better than being lukewarm, but I don’t know about you, I’d rather be hot. And what does hot mean? Zeal!
Being “on fire” for Jesus will be contagious. Just in case you’re concerned that being zealous is somehow not proper for good Anglicans, there is a Collect for Mission that reads as follows:
Almighty and everlasting God, who alone works great marvels: Send down upon our clergy and congregations committed to their charge the life-giving Spirit of your grace, shower them with the continual dew of your blessing, and ignite in them a zealous love of your Gospel, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
That’s pretty good! The collect asks for a fire to be lit in us for Jesus and his Gospel being spread. That’s zeal!
And church revitalization – moving a church from maintenance to mission, takes diligence. It’s hard work. There are no easy fixes or silver bullets. It takes long, faithful diligence in the same Great Commission direction. Given that, wouldn’t “enthusiastic diligence” be better. That’s what zeal gives us, a fire in our bellies to keep going, to persevere, to never quit for the sake of one more person coming to know Jesus.
The Gospel reading on the first Sunday after The Epiphany was Luke 3:15-22 which included John the Baptist’s proclamation that Jesus, “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” What does “and fire” mean? Certainly, it means the fire that refines and purifies us of our sin, but I would like to suggest it also means zeal. That in Christ, we not only receive the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit but we receive His power – like a fire in us that fuels us onward. Holy Spirit fire in us, or zeal, motivates us to enthusiastically stay diligent to fulfill His Great Commission.
Would you join me in rediscovering zeal? Would you pray and ask God to ignite in you a zealous love of Jesus and his Gospel? And then let that fire inside of you give you the enthusiastic diligence to go and make disciples of the people around you he has called you to reach!
The Rev. Canon Mark Eldredge is Director of Church Revitalization and Coaching at the American Anglican Council.
