It makes me extremely sad and beyond disappointed to see the way that much of my Liberty U student body has reacted and responded to the shocking resignation of worship pastor Justin Kintzel. Please dont get me wrong, I was so sad to hear this news--Im gonna miss his awkward humor and gooooood morning!!s just as much as the next person. But I do know that my worship experience will not be hindered. Yes, Justin is an amazing leader with no shortage of talent, but he should not be who we go to convocation for. He shouldnt be who we attend campus church to see. Hes not the focal point of our worship--the King of the Universe is, and thats who it should be. Yes, the Lord gives us leaders to look up to and to glean wisdom from, but when we find ourselves saying worship wont be worship without Justin--that is a problem and we need to reevaluate. Secondly, we do not know the whole story and we probably never will. Its not our place to know. But here are some truths we CAN cling to: God is never ever ever caught off guard, His timing is perfect, and he knows who needs to be where at any given moment. In the past He has blessed us with amazing pastors for us to look to, such as Jerry Falwell Sr, Johnnie Moore, David McKinney, and Justin Kintzel. For the present time and place, He has given us God centered men like Jerry Falwell Jr, Ian McIntyre, David Nasser, and so many more. God is in control. Speak THIS truth rather than the hurtful and false rumors that are spreading like wildfire around campus. As believers, we should be lifting up our leadership in encouragement and clothing them in prayer during this time of transition. Thirdly, as I previously mentioned, now is the time that our current leadership needs to know that they are loved and prayed for. Now is not the time to be yik yaking and tweeting hateful things about the men God has ordained to have authority over us--especially David Nasser. David has such an amazing heart for God, and he is someone that I have loved listening too and learning from since my sophomore year of highschool. I whole-heartedly believe that God could not have brought anyone better to us for such a time as this. He loves Jesus and He loves Liberty and I trust Him to lead us and teach us and pastor us throughout our time here. Regardless of any preferred speaking styles or theological beliefs you may hold, you cannot deny that this man loves Jesus and is passionate about seeing the lost come to know the Savior. If you are his brother or sister in Christ, as a fellow believer, I urge you to not speak spiteful words over him. Pray for him. Encourage him. Respect him. This is the reason that God is God and man is not--man fades, man changes. But our loving Father always remains the same; forever constant. How much sweeter it is to know that we can freely worship a God who will never leave us or forsake us. Focus on this. Dwell on this. Meditate on HIS truth--not truth you saw re-tweeted social media. Ask yourself--who have I been worshiping? Who am I worshiping now? In the meantime, yes, mourn the loss of a beloved pastor, but do not withhold love and hospitality towards the new one. Trust the Lord, the maker of time and the one who establishes leadership. He knows whats best for Liberty better than any of us, and personally, Ill gladly let God take the reigns. He is much better at being in control than any of us could ever be.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 04:43:28 +0000
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