“I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.”
The Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 7:4b
In meteorology, a perfect storm is a rare event in which a combination of circumstances creates an unusually destructive weather event.
In ecclesiology (churches), a perfect storm occurs when one or more conflict scenarios occur, typically in the unhealthy atmosphere (culture or congregational system) of a church family which is ripe for conflict.
Here’s the formula I’ve been sharing: An unhealthy church environment + an unfortunate incident + an unhelpful reaction = a perfect storm.
I described the phenomenon and how it happens in “A Perfect Storm In A Local Church,” and I wrote about struggling through a perfect storm with a clear conscience in last week’s “SURVIVING A Perfect Storm In A Local Church.” Today I have the privilege of writing about how God’s grace shows up in the midst of and in the aftermath of our perfect storms.
But more than likely, those people are thinking the same thing and they’re just as sincere as you are.
Even with the help of an expert, you may never entirely figure out whose fault it was. More than likely, there’s plenty of blame to go around.
But here’s something wonderful: even in a perfect storm, God’s grace – His unmerited help and favor – is blessedly present. And it’s offered to everyone, not just to those who are on the “right” side. In a church full of genuine believers in Jesus, we are all His squabbling, foolish, dearly beloved children. He doesn’t abandon any of us, even if we had a major part in causing the devastation. And He has plans for the restoration and growth in grace of every one of us.
I’m sure this is only part of the picture, but from what I’ve seen and experienced, here’s how God’s grace shows up:
(1) As I shared last week, God’s grace gifts us with the ability to do right for his glory.“I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13), was no mere platitude for the Apostle Paul. Literally facing the executioner’s axe, he testified in chapter one, verse 20 of that same, remarkable letter: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” This grace isn’t just for Apostles; Christ can be exalted through your life too, no matter what happens.
(2) God uses others to grind some of the rough edges off of us and He uses us to do likewise. If we don’t destroy each other with the ministry of malice – as in Galatians 5:15 – the results can be wonderful. I believe that Ephesians 4:15 requires us to do some of this in the rock tumbler of the local congregation. Sometimes it can be gentle and sweet: “Brian, I need to talk to you about something I’ve been seeing in your life that you might not be aware of.” Other times, it can be brutal: “Brian, I need to not talk to you for five years so you can see how badly you hurt me.”
Sometimes the spot where the rough edge was becomes a scar. So be it. We needed it. Sometimes our wrestling match with God results in a life-long limp. Again, so be it. A limp given to us by God, in God’s sight, is probably as beautiful as the most athletic stride.
Dr. Rupert Loyd, quoting a friend, got my attention with the words: “I believe God loves a good struggle!” He goes on to explain:
“God doesn’t always guide us away from struggle or take it away from us. In fact, He often invites us into it, not to break us but to bless us. He redeems it. The leader’s task is not to keep everyone comfortable but to guide the community faithfully through holy tension.” 1
(3) Our dark motives, thoughts, actions and reactions, surfaced during perfect storms, can help to reveal to us the depth of our own sinfulness and the extent of our need for God’s grace. Like anything else that humbles us, this is not pleasant, but it’s important. Learning how weak we actually are is a life-long learning experience for many of us.
(4) God’s grace, downloaded into our hearts in the midst of and in the aftermath of the storm, can turn our glaring weaknesses into God-glorifying strengths. The young hothead can become well known for self-control. The impatient individual can become a shining example of patience. I’m sure God loves it when we are startled by compliments that highlight qualities which are the opposite of our former faults.
(5) God’s grace can enable us to forgive those whom we initially thought we could never forgive (Ephesians 4:32). This is a beautiful thing which we could not begin to do in our own strength. We are blessed beyond measure to move into our old age with hearts full of peace and goodwill and joy instead of the all-too-common aging person’s traits of regret and bitterness and malice.
(6) As God is always ready to comfort, encourage and strengthen Christians who are experiencing the painful, inevitable result of loss which we call grief, God comforts church members who lose their reputations, their friends, their families or their ministries. See Psalms 43 and 44 for a striking example of this very kind of grief being soothed by heaven-sent hope for a better future.
(7) Just as God makes individual Christians better, warmer, softer and wiser through the storms, He also performs these miracles in congregations. The storm-tossed congregation isn’t cursed, abandoned or disowned by God. Churches which will face the ugliness created by their sinful and foolish members can move forward into the future prepared to manifest the one, impossible, heaven-sent mark which Jesus mandated for his followers: the life-changing, unity-producing, movement-starting, sacrificial love (John 13:34,35 and John 17:20-26) which only He can put in our hearts (Romans 5:5, Galatians 5:22).
Returning to the Rupert Loyd article I cited earlier, the author, in reference to the patriarch Jacob, noted:
“I’ve seen churches walk away with similar limps – wounds from difficult transitions, seasons of loss, or internal conflict. Yet those very experiences often become the foundation of renewed faith. A congregation that has struggled honestly with God tends to carry a deeper humility, a greater compassion, and a stronger dependence on grace. Struggle is sacred when it’s surrendered. It becomes the meeting place of divine grace and human effort where the Spirit forges character, compassion and courage. The limp that remains is not a weakness to hide but a witness to God’s faithfulness.” 2
Next week: Preventing perfect storms
QUESTIONS FOR A POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT BUT HELPFUL DISCUSSION:
- Has our church experienced a perfect storm? Are we able to talk about it?
- If you experienced it personally, how did it change your life? (Refer back to the points Brian made in the post.)
- If our church still feels damaged by the storm it experienced, what would need to happen before it could feel truly healed? (See Psalm 23:3 – Has God restored the soul of your congregation?)
- Are there ways in which our church is better today than it was before the storm?
- How can we prevent a perfect storm from ever happening here again?
1Limping Toward Grace: Turning the Pain of Struggle Into the Power of Renewal, Dr. Rupert Loyd, Church Doctor Report, November 2025, www.churchdoctor.org
2 ibid
