The great fear that came upon the whole church. Not terror exactly, but something like reverent caution. In our contemporary churches, we've largely eliminated fear. We want seeker-friendly, accessible, welcoming. But there's something lost when people never feel even a whisper of the God who is genuinely other, genuinely holy.
I grew up in a cold, fear-based church where God was mostly an enforcer. I swung the opposite direction, embracing Jesus as buddy, as friend. But I'm realizing that both extremes miss something. The fear Luke describes here isn't neurotic. It's the appropriate response of people who've just watched God move decisively against deception. It's the fear that produces holy living, not the fear that produces hiding.
Our church is growing, but it's soft. People are comfortable. We're inclusive. But are we aware that we're in the presence of God? That the Spirit genuinely indwells us and judges us from within? I've started praying for that 'fear' to return. Not oppressive fear, but the kind that makes you conscious that something real is happening, that God is taking this seriously, that our membership in this community actually means something consequential.
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