Ethnic Harmony, Prayer | by Pastor Justin Keogh

Friends,

With so much happening in our world, I’ve been meditating on Philippians 4:5b-7, as a reminder to take my anxieties to God in prayer:

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This passage has a remarkable anchor: The Lord is at hand. It is because God is personal, loving, and near to us that we can cast our cares on him and receive the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. The instruction for us is simple: in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. In other words, we are to pray—especially in response to our anxieties.

Today, June 19th, commemorated as Juneteenth, is the anniversary of the effective end of slavery in the US. 155 years later, much has changed, but we continue to lament ongoing racial injustice. We yearn to see people of all nations, from all tribes and peoples and languages, come to know and treasure the gospel of Jesus Christ. And while we wait for Christ’s return, we cry out with all creation to be set free from our bondage to decay and await the fulfillment of our adoption as sons of God.

In the midst of a global pandemic, and with ongoing racial tensions in the US and political unrest in our city that doesn’t know the Savior, there is much to pray for. Consider praying with us in any or all of these upcoming opportunities:

• Saturday, June 20th, at 4PM: The Gospel Coalition (TGC) is hosting “A Night of Lament for Racial Justice”, a guided time of prayer and singing that will be simulcast on multiple platforms. Learn more…
• Monday, June 22nd, at 7PM: Seattle area pastors will be gathering publicly as followers of Jesus to affirm the inherent dignity and value of all people, especially those in the black community who have been historically marginalized and oppressed. In solidarity, we will fast and pray together for unity in our city as we speak from Scripture. Churches are invited to join in person at Gasworks Park, or pray with us remotely. If you’re interested in attending with us, please email me at .
• Sunday, June 28th, at 5PM: DCC’s corporate Prayer Night, hosted via videoconferencing, will be an evening of prayer, scripture, and song, asking our Father to do what only He can do in our lives, our church, in our city and the world. Learn more…
• Anytime: We are encouraging our body to get out and pray for Seattle, alone or in small socially distanced groups, praying for the welfare of our city from Isaiah 59:14-16. See our prayer walking guide for more details on how to join us in this.

Let’s continue to come before the Lord in humble dependence together.

Blessings,
Pastor Justin

Community, Ethnic Harmony, Prayer | by Pastor Justin Keogh

Friends,

Recent events highlighting ongoing racial injustice have moved many to want to learn and act positively to address racism and injustice from a biblical perspective. To that end, we want to continue facilitating meaningful, faithful, and loving discussion with each other, while encouraging one another toward Gospel-centered action.

As Christians, we know that every human is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), who is the source of human value and dignity. Yet, we live in a fallen world, marred by the sin of racism, that devalues others on the basis of their skin color.

In American history, this has tragically led to ongoing violence and inequality for African Americans and other minorities—which is not the way it will be in heaven (Rev. 7:9), not the way God desires it to be on earth (Ps. 37:28), nor in his church (James 2:1-13).

Therefore, we’re bringing together a number of opportunities this summer to help us engage in these issues with others in DCC. Our hope in these sometimes difficult conversations is to draw close to one another in love, founded in our unity in Christ, in order that we may live out the commandments to love one another (John 13:34) and to be salt and light to our city (Matt. 5:13-16)—a testimony to the world around us of God’s love and his power at work among us.

Here are four practical steps you can take with us:

#1 PRAY

Flowing from our recent day of fasting and prayer, we are encouraging our body to get out and pray for Seattle. Our desire is to see our people gather in groups of 5 or so walking the streets and neighborhoods where they live with one goal—pray for the welfare of that place you live, from Isaiah 59:14-16. See our prayer walking guide for more details on how to join us in this!

#2 DISCUSS

This Sunday, June 14th, we’re hosting an event called the UNDIVIDED Forum, which will be a chance to open God’s word and discuss with others the biblical call toward racial reconciliation, especially within the church. Read more and register HERE.

#3 READ

This summer, I will be hosting a book discussion of Divided by Faith (a look at why the church in America is racially divided) followed by United by Faith (a look at multi-ethnic churches as a solution). If you’re interested in joining this book discussion, please email me at 

#4 CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

We’ve created the Racial Reconciliation group on Church Center as a place for us to post content, discuss topics of race, and share opportunities to take action together. Read more and join HERE.

Let’s continue to pursue mercy and justice as we love and pray for one another in all humility, gentleness, and patience.

Blessings,
Pastor Justin

Covid-19 | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Downtown Cornerstone,

The Lord has built waiting into our experience of life and that waiting is particularly acute in this season. But, we wait in hope (Ps. 39:7; 62:5; 130:5). In Him, our waiting is not in vain, wasted, a mere obstacle, nor necessarily riddled with regrets of “what might have been.” In His hands our waiting is doing something—even if we don’t know the full extent of what that is from our vantage point—because our God is sovereign.

We are in unprecedented territory as we consider resuming life amidst a once-in-a-century pandemic. What will things look like on the other side? No one knows for sure.

At this point, Washington State’s Governor, Jay Inslee, has proposed a phased approach to re-opening. Each phase will last a minimum of three weeks, provided the occurrence of the disease meets state-designated metrics. The CDC and the state have also provided additional direction for churches. Therefore, it seemed prudent to craft a tentative plan for DCC to resume life together around the four government-mandated phases.

We’re reluctant to commit to anything in writing as the situation continues to evolve and there remain many unknowns. Yet, we understand it is helpful to have a general sense of the direction we are heading, even if we must adapt along the way. Expectations are helpful, even if they are not our preferred outcome.

YOU CAN FIND OUR TENTATIVE PLAN HERE.

Let’s continue to pray—for one another, other gospel-preaching churches, and for justice to prevail in our city. Let’s ask Him to uniquely use this season to create a spiritual awakening our city has never seen.

Christ is all, always.
Pastor Adam

Ethnic Harmony, Prayer

On Sunday, May 31st, we took some time during our morning gathering to pray and lament over the events that have taken place in the last several weeks in our nation and in our city. Below is the prayer that was prayed by Pastor David, and which we wanted to make available, as we continue to grieve and process the unfolding events in the days and weeks to come.

____________

Father, many of us are coming to you this morning with very heavy, burdened, fatigued, sorrowful, lamenting, frustrated, and maybe even angry hearts.

It has been a rough week, really a rough few weeks—especially for many of our minority brothers and sisters—as we again see and feel the weight and brokenness of this world on full display.

From the heartbreaking and gut-wrenching videos of murder we witnessed in the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, to peaceful protests for justice being hijacked for the destruction of our city and many cities around the country, to the ongoing pandemic and the racial targeting of our Asian-American brothers and sisters…

Lord, we can’t even open up our phones, turn on the TV, or even step outside some of our doors, without being reminded of the brokenness of sin in our world.

And if we’re honest, we’re tempted maybe to emotionally shut down, throw in the proverbial towel, and look for a way of escape.

And yet Lord, we know this season is not a surprise to you. In fact, you tell us in your word, that because of sin there will be “men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” and are filled with every kind of “evil, greed, depravity…envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice” (Rom. 1:18, 28-29).

And our hearts cry out with the Psalmist, “How long, O’ Lord?!” (Ps. 13)

• Father, our hearts long for restoration, for your redemption, and for your justice and righteousness to prevail.
• We long to see an end to the racial violence that continues to separate our country and our world.
• We long to see leaders, politicians, and those placed in power, rule with justice and equity.
• We long to see your justice prevail in the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many many more.
• Father, we know, deep down, that what we ultimately long for is you!

And this season is a stark reality, that there is no hope in this world apart from you.

There is no hope for the human heart, except for it to be radically transformed by your grace.

So Father, our hearts grieve and lament. We lament, because our world is not as it should be.

And we lament because we are not what we should be.

And yet, this we call to mind, and therefore we have hope…“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:23-24)

And we know that hope in you is not a vague feeling that we “hope things will one day get better”, but a confident expectation that your Gospel is big enough to heal the brokenness of the human heart.

It is big enough to free us from our own biases, our own blind spots, our own indifference, our own self-righteousness, our own unrighteous anger—and ultimately our rejection of you as Savior and Lord of our life.

So, Lord, we come humbly to you this morning and ask:

• That you would comfort the black community that is hurting right now—whether that be in and through us as a church, or other churches in Seattle, or and maybe most of all, by and through your Spirit. Remind them that you see them, you know their hurt, their concerns, and their pain. And as Psalms 23 reminds us, that even though we go through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with us, and your rod and your staff comfort us.
• That you would bring comfort to the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, as they are deeply grieving right now. We ask that you would help them see that you are their ultimate vindication.
• For repentance, salvation, and justice for the officers and others involved in these killings.
• For wisdom for Minneapolis, Seattle, and other city leaders around the country. We ask that you would allow them to rule and lead with wisdom, equity, and justice, and that those in positions of authority would fight for reform where needed. And we ask that you would carefully guide every person involved in the judicial process of all of these cases—so that truth and justice would prevail.
• That you would give us a deep love and empathy for our neighbors. That we wouldn’t write all this off as political, but be willing to listen and learn. Be willing to hear and console, and be willing to encourage and exhort.
• That you would make us a bold people, who are willing to stand for truth, stand for justice, and stand with those who are oppressed—not because we’re supposed to, but because we love our neighbor.
• For other area churches and pastors who are already knee-deep in pastoring through a pandemic, we ask that you would help them love and lead their people well this morning; that you would give them wisdom in their words, to point everyone back to you as the ultimate answer to the deepest problems we are faced with.
• And finally Lord, we ask that you would protect the unity of the Church, our church, and not let another gospel of nationalism, personal autonomy, good deeds, activism, or even altruism, to strip the true Gospel of its Saving power.

Lord, we long for the day, where you tell us in Revelation, that your work will come to an end. Where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more death, no more racism, no more injustice, no more Covid-19, no more suffering… and where there will be perfect peace.

God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s rule.

Until then, Father, protect us from wanting the Kingdom without the King. Protect us from not caring about the plight of our neighbors who are lost without you, and help us keep our eyes fixed on you.

Make us teachable and willing to learn, Keep us humble. Give us eyes to see, and ears to hear, the truths that free us from bondage to sin, and give us life in you.

And we pray all these things, in your name, the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Community, Ethnic Harmony, Prayer | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Friends,

We are living amidst tumultuous times (e.g. ongoing racial injustice, protesting, violent rioting, exploitive looting, a once-in-a-century-pandemic, near record-level unemployment, deep political divisions, an inability to gather as a church, in addition to the every day trials and temptations of our personal lives) and one vital means of grace the Lord has given to his church amidst such storms is fasting and prayer.

Therefore, I am writing to invite you to join the elders in a 24-hour food fast (fasting from food, but not water) beginning tonight after dinner, Wednesday, June 3rd, and lasting up till dinner tomorrow, Thursday, June 4th (i.e. skip breakfast and lunch on June 4th).

If protests are an appeal to earthly powers, fasting is an appeal to the Highest Power. Peaceful protests and calls for justice are good, right, and have their place. But, only the power and presence of God can bring about the nature of changes that are most deeply needed in our city. That means, we must pray.

Ask yourself: Am I seeking God’s face with the same intensity by which I am seeking to remedy the injustices of the world? Does the heat of my prayer life out-do the heat of my protests? Does my pleading with God out-weigh my pleading with others? Does my virtue signaling signal that God is my highest virtue? If not, we must pray.

Racism, violence, and injustice are demonic at their core (Eph. 2:2-3; 6:12f), not earthly, and a spiritual cause requires a spiritual solution. Therefore, while there are many things we could do, the one thing we must do is pray.

One of the primary ways to bring focus to our prayers is to fast. The purpose of fasting is to express absolute dependence on God. It is a way to say to God, “This much, O God, we need you! We are not self-sufficient, but entirely dependent. We can’t sort this out on our own. You must act if anything is to change!” As such, fasting is always coupled with prayer as you allow every hunger pang to highlight your need for God.

Over these 24-hours, and beyond, let’s pray…

1. That God would unexpectedly show up in His saving, life-changing, and heart-transforming power, in Jesus. That His local churches would be innocent and wise (Mt. 10:16), being salt and light in their spheres of influence (Mt. 5:13-16), and communities of love that shock the city (Jn. 13:35). That the gospel would be clear and central. That the unifying power of the gospel would be displayed in His reconciled, multi-ethnic people who are bound together by the Spirit, which is stronger than blood, as local embassies of the kingdom to come.
2. That justice would prevail, especially in favor of communities of color. These recent events are not isolated, but are part of a long, unbroken string that stretches back hundreds of years. Shockwaves of past injustices continue to ring out into the present. Let’s seek to be a force for good, because we are gospel people. Further, let’s pray that earthly justice would not end there, but ultimately lead to gospel revival and renewal, and true reconciliation, throughout our city. Let’s pray that this city-wide desire for justice would lead those of our city to Jesus, the only purely Just One.
3. That city, state and national leadership would have wisdom. These are complex times. Let’s ask our gracious God to grant favor, wisdom and mercy to decision-makers. Let’s pray that our leaders, and upright police officers, to humbly love truth, walk in the light, and leverage their positions of influence for good, not harm. They are under tremendous pressure and are finite, like us, so may God grant them mercy.
4. That we would learn to depend and do good amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This disease continues to kill people every day, plunder the economy, promote personal despair, and prevent Jesus’ people from gathering. Let’s pray this season will come to an end soon. That we would learn the lessons He has for us to learn. That our hope and joy, in Him, would not waver. That we’d have spiritual eyes to see how He is moving around us, so that we can join Him in that work.

Joining with you, in fasting and prayer. Let’s pursue Him together.

With you, in Christ, for the sake of the world—
Pastor Adam

P.S. If you are unable to fast for medical reasons, or your schedule does not allow you to participate on the dates above, please feel the freedom to adjust the type or length of fast you practice and/or the dates on which you practice it.