A Voice Lifted Up
Dear Eternity,
I love a good front porch, especially one with a rocking chair or swing. Sitting out on a summer evening is my idea of relaxation - “just watching the world go by.” Front porches are unique. They are part of a home—often the most visible part—yet they stay partially exposed to the elements. In the city, they are seen by everyone and, in some cases, are accessible to all. It’s where people get to enjoy and interact with the outside world while under the shelter of their home. Yet they are also places where people can come without entering.
In one of Tim Keller’s last articles before his death, he shared some thoughts on how the gospel can be shared in the Western world as cultural Christianity fades. It was the first of a two-part series he didn’t get to finish before he died called “Lemonade on the Porch” (available for free online, and worth a read). His conclusion is that churches need more porches. Not physical porches, but half-way places and spaces between the church and the “world” where those who don’t yet believe can see, question, and hear Christianity.
In Acts 2:14–21, Peter stands up and exclaims as he explains the seemingly inexplicable events of Pentecost. This is not the effects of alcohol; this is the effect of God’s Spirit poured out on all people as prophesied by Joel: “This is that.” What was once limited is now overflowing. Heaven is no longer distant—it is breaking into the world with real consequences. Human norms and constructs are being demolished like a cataclysmic cosmic event as everyone gets to partake. Peter stands on the porch, calling everyone to repent and come in. This is the descent of the Spirit that will forever change the world because of the ascent of Christ.
Perhaps it is fitting that the front porch of the Bonnie Brae house—where the modern Pentecostal movement began—collapsed under the weight of people searching for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What porches may we be called to build? And may we even pray to see them buckle under the weight of overwhelming demand, as God ushers His people inside His church.
Jordan Crews