Unheeded

You who were called to till ground until it was good
Have become lost in the weeds yourselves
Always slaves to the compromise you made
In betrayal of my mission.

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Look among you!
Where are the Sons of Issachar?
Has not Zebulun acted as Cain?
This is why you do not understand the time you are in
Why you tarry behind when you should move ahead.

The “sons of Issachar” stand for those who can discern timing and trends and determine the corresponding action (1 Chron 12:32). Also related to Issachar is hard work (as in forced labor; Gen 49:14-15) and comfort at home (Deut 33:18) — which inspired the labor. See The Twelve Flower.

Zebulun has acted as Cain and killed Issachar out of jealousy. Zebulun stands for conquest, trade, and transit (Gen 49:14, Deut 33:18-19). This is to say that business as usual and a desire to dominate have overtaken a true rootedness, and from it the ability to discern the timing of actions related to context.

It’s ironic really, that peace church of a very domestic character would be more aligned to Zebulun in conquest than Issachar safe at home. But I’ve found a deep violence among the Anabaptists towards the meaning of their own humanity and the humanity of others. One aspect of this is they have become deeply out of sync with the outside world. Perhaps they began the project of cultural exclusivity to be “signs and portents” (Is 8:28), but in doing so they abandoned the call to be the Lord’s watchmen (Mt 25:13). To me, this seems a sacrifice of Spirit-sensitivity for traditions of men in order to maintain by cultural means a holiness that can only come from ethic and mission.

I attended a meeting among them where missiological innovator Alan Hirsch was consulting them on movement dynamics. I was not among them again for ten years, but when I next met them they were still talking about it with no meaningful fruit. They tarry behind, and nursing insecurity with affirmation and comfort and perfectionism. I feel this very personally. They are not ready for me. They cannot see me because I am not in their time.

I warned you:
Only a little longer to be ready
With the acts of repentance I require
The final pillar of the old world is now laid to rest
Summer solstice to solstice and the door is closed.

The “final pillar” is James Dobson (d. August 21, 2025). He was the last of the “Big 5” Evangelicals: Graham, Falwell, and Robertson. A friend of mine had a dream: 5 great “righteous men” were laid in the grave, the Donald Trump (At the time of the dream not president) would stand before naval vessels and send them off to war. This has not taken place.

Even though historically the Radical Reformation is not evangelical, they have largely adopted to overwhelming culture of generic evangelicalism in a quest for relevance. As someone who was connected to them by Father with deep alignment to their original theological witness, this has seemed a tragedy to me.

The period of time from solstice 2024-2025 represented a closing door of opportunity to choose a different path than the one the majority of evangelicalism is now committed to.

What does it mean to make me Lord?
To have meeting upon meeting till my word
Is like a drop of wine in an ocean of opinions?
I will frustrate your meetings and councils
Till you shut your mouths and move your feet.

Yeshua is clear: obedience is not about words (Mt 28:21-32). One of the greatest perversions of the initial fire of the Radical Reformation was the ruling by consensus rather than consent. While focused in word on mission, their is a great resurgence of this consensus rule rising in some areas of Anabaptism.