Before our culture went into lockdown, the Lord asked Jan and me to step into a season of extended solitary sabbatical. God was resetting our mission for the coming season. When the lockdown took place, it had little effect on us since we were already in a time of sabbatical separation as we engaged in our new assignment.

As we entered this new season, Jan and I were asked by the Lord to step up onto a prophetic wall to become watchmen. This is not a busy-looking assignment. It does not include a crowd of people surrounding our lives as we had for many years in pastoral ministry. It has been a time of solitary prayer and reflection, looking out across the spiritual and cultural landscape to see what is approaching. Our assignment is much like watchmen of old who would stand guard on a city wall to tell those within the city what is coming.

What we have seen on the distant horizon is an approaching great move of God. That move of God is gathering unusual momentum yet remains out of sight for many. In the immediate view is a variety of diversions and distractions. These issues have occupied the vision and drained the energy of many people of faith causing them to focus on the insignificant at the expense of the significant work God has planned. 

This is a moment of transition for the Church and the culture. Both will be dramatically changed in the coming months and years. To make ourselves ready to engage this coming move of God will require that we view the future through the lens of faith, not fear. What God is about to do will be astounding.