This week is the second week of our Lenten Worship series, “Rehab”. I will admit when I was first introduced to the idea of a worship series called “Rehab”, I wasn’t very excited about it. When I think of the term rehab, I think about the moments in life when we are at our lowest, the moments in life when we are fighting to be restored. That is not exactly a worship series that sounds very hopeful, but maybe that is the point of Lent. Maybe this is a time of year when we can admit our brokenness and seek restoration.

On of the biggest reason people struggling with addiction decline rehab is that most don’t think they actually have a problem. They tell themselves they can quit anytime, and they actually believe it. The problem is, they can’t — and they’re scared to admit to themselves that they might have a serious problem. Denial is dangerous because it avoids the truth. One solution to this problem is an intervention. Intervention may come in the form of a relationship crisis or an act of tough love. A family decides they can no longer tolerate the drinking, or the gambling, or the hoarding. The person involved in the struggle is causing harm to the people he/she loves. Life has spun out of control so much that others are forced to confront the person about his or her problem.

Intervention may come as an unwanted surprise: your company downsizes, and you are forced to change jobs, or you become unemployed. A loved one is diagnosed with a major illness, and others have to adjust their lives in order to provide care. Retirement finally comes, but even a lifetime of working has not earned enough to provide full financial freedom. Your tour of duty comes to an end and you return home, not the same person as you were before because of what you experienced or witnessed.

Spiritual intervention takes place when we are confronted with the true condition of our soul and recognize that something must change. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 8, the disciple Peter receives an intervention. In a harsh exchange between Jesus and Peter, it’s almost as if Jesus is saying, “Dude, you need rehab!” This is an act of intervention, and it’s not pretty. What did Peter do to receive such an intervention? Find out this Sunday at 9:30 AM (Small Groups) and 10:30 AM (Worship).

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church