DROUGHT

                I heard on the radio the other day that 7% of Minnesota is back in drought conditions and that southern Minnesota is in severely dry conditions. It doesn't seem real after the wet spring and early summer we had. But this last month has been dry. According to the MN DNR, drought is defined as a period of abnormally dry and/or unusually hot weather sufficiently prolonged for the corresponding deficiency of water to cause a serious hydrologic imbalance. In other words, things are drying out.

                The worst drought in US history occurred during the 1930’s. It was deemed the Dust Bowl. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), at least 50,000,000 acres of land were affected. Poor soil management practices made matters worse; without native prairie grasses or cover crops to keep soil in place, the Great Plains quite literally turned to dust and blew away in enormous dust storms dubbed "black rollers" or "black blizzards."

                The US faced another major drought in the Great Plains and Southwest from 1950 to 1956. Temperatures were hot and rain was scarce. In Texas, rainfall decreased by 40 percent. In some places, crop yields fell by half.

                The Northeast got its turn in the 1960’s. A widespread period of drought between 1962 and 1966 that hit much of the Northeastern United States. This Northeastern drought actually occurred in a period when temperatures were lower than average, but the rain disappeared. 

                Today, more than 60 percent of the continental United States is in drought conditions, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared a disaster area in more than 1,000 counties countrywide. The current drought is a "flash drought," so named because the time frame has been on the scale of weeks to months, rather than years. A relatively dry winter combined with record heat in June and July has made moisture a rare sight in many parts of the country. Ironically last week Colorado experienced torrential rainfall resulting in major flooding and enormous damage.

                There is another kind of drought going on in America today; a spiritual drought. At no time in our history has the spiritual climate been so dry. During the period of 2000-2005, on average, 3,700 churches closed their doors every year. During that same period of time 4,000 churches were planted each year. That sounds good until you factor in population growth. In order to meet the need of our expanding population, we need to plant 3,200 more churches every year or a total of 7,200.

                There are many causes for the spiritual drought in our country.

- Spiritual apathy: Christianity has been taken for granted and consequently it has been marginalized. Regular church attendance is no longer seen as a necessary thing. Today, if a person attends church once a month they classify themselves as regular attendees. Many people have settled for showing up only at Christmas, Easter, weddings and funerals.

- Cultural diversity: With the increased influx of people coming from non-Christian cultures, the role of the church has been diluted. We are constantly told that we cannot favor one religion over another. All religions are of equal value and all should be embraced. The problem with this religious tolerance is that it diminishes all religions. If there are no distinctive, then there is no relevance.

- Secularism: We have become more and more a secular society. Science and reason rule the day. Faith is seen as old-fashioned at best and ignorant at worst. Even a former President once made the comment that conservative Christians are uneducated, ignorant and backward people. The concept of the freedom of religion, which was formed to protect the sanctity of the Church, has now been turned into freedom from religion. Religion is no longer given a place at the table of public debate.

- Spirituality: This sounds good on the surface, but it is really a cancer to the soul. There has been a rise in interest in spirituality and a decline in involvement in traditional, established religions. The foundation of today’s spirituality is that each individual gets to define it for themselves. We have developed an ala carte mentality to faith. A person has the right to pick and choose the aspects of any religion that they like and combine them into their own form of spirituality. This is at the heart of the New Age movement.

                We can let these trends discourage us and at times even depress us, or we can dig new wells. It is not that spiritual water is not available in abundance. It is just that people are looking in the wrong places. They have been deceived by Satan to put their hope in dry wells and broken cisterns. The prophet Jeremiah lamented this ion his day.

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV)

                Satan is still selling false hope and dry wells. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

                Our hope is still in the one who can provide living water. In Jesus’ day, people made a distinction between still water and living water. Still water was gotten from a well and was sometimes less than pure. Living water was gotten from a spring or stream and was seen as pure and refreshing. Jesus announced that anyone who comes to him will receive living water; water that can refresh our souls.

                        On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39 (NIV)

                We can tap into this living water by following Christ with our whole heart. The Psalmist gives us a great picture of what it means to truly trust in God’s love and care.

                Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalms 1:1-3 (NIV)

                Often times, in drought stricken areas of the world, relief organizations will come and drill new wells for the people. They can do this because they have the technology and the resources to accomplish the task, which the people do not have.

                In a spiritual sense, we are called to be that relief organization. Jesus used two different analogies to highlight this call. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

                We can show people where to find living water. It is not found in politics, economics or social reform. It is not found in stale religion or formal traditions. It is found in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the true source of living water and he has extended an open invitation to all who will come to him.

                "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

                Many farmers are worried about the harvest this year. With this late season drought, some of the crops are not fully developing. What looked like a bumper crop a month ago may be moderate at best.

                Many Christians are concerned about the spiritual harvest. There was a time in America when we produced a bumper crop of righteousness. With this extended dry spell that we have been experiencing, many are despairing that the harvest will be poor. But take heart. The Lord of the harvest has not abandoned us. There is water aplenty for those who will seek it. There are new wells to be dug that will produce spiritual life for those who drink there. So keep digging.

                Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV)