June 10th, 2025
What Now?
“Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”
-J.R.R. Tolkien in The Hobbit
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my favorite books of all time. I first read it when I was a teenager – but the older I get, the more profound the book becomes. The quote taken above comes from a moment when the main character wakes up in a dark tunnel, separated from his friends, injured, and unsure of what direction to turn.
I don’t know how you’re feeling in the wake of my family’s announcement that we will be moving back to Memphis. When I lost a youth pastor who was very dear to me, I can remember feeling angry, sad, and a bit lost. Perhaps you’ve felt some of those things in the past few days. So what now? Where do we go from here?
As Bilbo – the main character – sees it, there are only three options when you find yourself in such a situation. You can go back, you can go sideways, or you can go forwards. Going back, in Bilbo’s words, is “no good at all.” What was true for him is true for CPC. The church can’t go back. The kingdom of God in this place must not shrink. Ministry must not stop. Going back is “no good at all.”
The second option when faced with a difficult situation is to “go sideways.” Going sideways is equivalent to shifting into neutral – into maintenance mode. But Bilbo’s evaluation of this option is spot on – “impossible.” In the church, there is no such thing as maintaining. Churches either grow or shrink. Ministry either expands or contracts. It’s much better to do away with the fallacy of maintaining on the front end. “Go sideways? Impossible!”
What then is to be done? “Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” There is a place for grief during this season. Shannon and I have cried many tears over the last few months. But the grief of loss and the fear of uncertainty cannot be allowed to hold back the mission of the church. My encouragement to you in this season is “go forward.” It’s the only thing to do. Trust your elders – they love you and they know what they’re doing. Form a search committee – quickly. Pray diligently. Call a pastor – as soon as possible. Move forward – it’s the only thing to do. “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” –Proverbs 4:25-26
Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster
“Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”
-J.R.R. Tolkien in The Hobbit
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my favorite books of all time. I first read it when I was a teenager – but the older I get, the more profound the book becomes. The quote taken above comes from a moment when the main character wakes up in a dark tunnel, separated from his friends, injured, and unsure of what direction to turn.
I don’t know how you’re feeling in the wake of my family’s announcement that we will be moving back to Memphis. When I lost a youth pastor who was very dear to me, I can remember feeling angry, sad, and a bit lost. Perhaps you’ve felt some of those things in the past few days. So what now? Where do we go from here?
As Bilbo – the main character – sees it, there are only three options when you find yourself in such a situation. You can go back, you can go sideways, or you can go forwards. Going back, in Bilbo’s words, is “no good at all.” What was true for him is true for CPC. The church can’t go back. The kingdom of God in this place must not shrink. Ministry must not stop. Going back is “no good at all.”
The second option when faced with a difficult situation is to “go sideways.” Going sideways is equivalent to shifting into neutral – into maintenance mode. But Bilbo’s evaluation of this option is spot on – “impossible.” In the church, there is no such thing as maintaining. Churches either grow or shrink. Ministry either expands or contracts. It’s much better to do away with the fallacy of maintaining on the front end. “Go sideways? Impossible!”
What then is to be done? “Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” There is a place for grief during this season. Shannon and I have cried many tears over the last few months. But the grief of loss and the fear of uncertainty cannot be allowed to hold back the mission of the church. My encouragement to you in this season is “go forward.” It’s the only thing to do. Trust your elders – they love you and they know what they’re doing. Form a search committee – quickly. Pray diligently. Call a pastor – as soon as possible. Move forward – it’s the only thing to do. “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” –Proverbs 4:25-26
Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster
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