The Pursuit Of And Escape From Community.

So, in the last six months I have transitioned from working for and being a member at a very large church(of which I had been a part of since I got saved) to being a part of a new church plant with is about 1/100th of the size of my former church home. And I have learned a great amount of things about my self and about gospel community in the process, But thing that totally stuck out to me today was this; in my experience, Christians and not-yet-Christians seem to be drawn to different churches for different reasons. Now this is a VERY general statement, and i'm going to be painting this thought for you in very broad strokes, so just realize, this doesn't apply to everybody.

Since the transition to my new church home, It has been much easier for me to invite not-yet-Christians to our corporate gatherings and much harder to invite already-Christians to come. Now, coming from a big church with lots of programs and do-hickeys and laser beams and guitar solos I found it quite simple to get my Christians friends to come but arduously difficult to get my non-Jesus loving friends to check it out, and now I seem to have the opposite happening now.

A couple of days ago I had an eye-opening conversation with a friend who has a passing knowledge of Christianity but would never consider themselves a church-goer. She explained to me in great angst and detail how she felt like going to a large church gathering felt like going to an event or concert instead of engaging in a community of believing peoples. I was struck by her candor and precision in nailing what exactly what she (and I imagine many others) felt was lacking in Churchianity. Now, this in no means is a blast on megachurches. I thank God for the many large congregations in my area because bigger churches generally mean more people meeting Jesus which is always a good thing. The problem is see is this: It seems to me that many christians go to bigger churches so they can escape from being known and not-yet-christians seem to like smaller churches so that they can known. You see, it is much easier to go to a program or event than it is to part of a family. Families are messy, but events are smooth and enjoyable. If we were completely honest (and I know that church is not the place for that), we would admit that even though we try to look good and perform well at church (cuz' thats what you do at church, right?), we are just a broken as the people on "the outside." But if good, church-goin' folk found out who we REALLY ARE, well, what would we do then?? I think the answer comes in "heathen" form. Not-yet-believers want to be known, they deeply desire for the community that we as Jesus' church are supposed to have! They have been so beat up bedraggled and bushwhacked that they just want a place that will met them where they are and love them, not try and fix their life, not try and make them more presentable in church, but just love them with the love of the Father. Can we all agree that its hard to step into unfamiliarity, especially when it comes to church? Then shouldn't we make it as easy as possible to invite people into community?

Now back to the Christians for a moment. Why are we so afraid of Community? Why do we hide away in our massive church buildings and play as if church were an interview to get into heaven? Can't we really believe in a big God and a big Cross and grace enough for everybody's shortcomings? even the most religious and most heathen of us? It seems to me that those outside of church would gladly enter into our fellowship, and honesty, and accountable relationships. Are we just taking up room in church so we look good and check off being "holy" for the week? If so, than I have met plenty of non-believers that would love to take their place, to have what they have. Let's thank Jesus for making community and ask Him how to best use it for his glory and our joy.

Hard Lesson From The Christian Front.

I got away this week. No phone, no facebook, no iPod, no people. Just Me, a Bible and the silence. I wont go into details because if I did I wouldn't ever finish this note, but i will let you in on one conversation I had with the Lord Jesus.

I see in my self a need to be justified by others and to receive recognition for what I do, and It is really nothing more than a sense of needing to be loved.. It is a blot on my soul that I was most afraid people would find out about. In one sense, it is entirely human, because we are made to feel a need for Justification, and Jesus has accomplished this for us on the Cross. But what I could not seem to get away from is the fact that all that I do, from words, actions and even thoughts seems to get put through this process of "are they going to realize what I have done for them?" or " If I do this, will they love me?" There is an angst that penetrates every fiber of my being that comes from this and I wrestled very deeply with this part of my life in my time away. I cried out to the Lord as David did "My eyes long for your promise;I ask, "When will you comfort me?" I asked him to show me what to do in order that I might understand why I sow and do not reap, why I pour out onto others and do not receive back. Other than being totally selfish and in deep, deep sin because of it, the Lord remained silent for a bit, until he showed me a reel of His earthly life, and how He endlessly poured into to others, healed others, taught others, and cried with others, but had no comforter except the Father, no companion except the Holy Spirit. I saw this and I wept. I wept, because I was trying to be like Jesus, but did not have the framework to understand the cost of what it means to emulate him. The hard lesson I learned is that sometimes you get nothing for your effort, you will reap nothing from your sowing. It does not matter how much you love someone, serve them, pray for them or seek to help them; the plain fact is is that Christian is someone who does not seek any gain. Whether emotional, spiritual, physical or financial; it it not in the heart of Jesus to seek after those things. It hurt deeply to see this and to realize the fact sometimes God ordains people in your life that your job is to pour into them and they will not give as much as a thank you, but that doe not mean that your work was in vain, but that it was not for you to see.

So, I am ok with this now. And I realize the good that God is accomplishing, but still have this inkling to want a return on my investment, and then I realize it is not my investment but His. I am just a steward of His, and should expect nothing but a "well done good and faithful servant" at the end.

hurt.

I hurt....

Because of sin done by me and sin done against me, my soul aches for healing. I feel a very real and physical pain at my core because sin separates me from God; the giver of life. When I sin, I die a little inside. A small part of me that shone for the glory of God is now blackened by the inky stain of disobedience against a holy and righteous God. This stain, this blot on my soul is right before me. I cannot escape it, and it is seen by all. For Jesus said, "the things whispered in the ears shall be shouted from the rooftops." But my hope is that this God is not removed from my pain, but has experienced it in real human physical form by taking it, all of it upon himself and suffering in my place for the very pain I should have endured. By death, this God has brought life to the very people who have hurt him so that we might not suffer this hurt forever but be healed from the pain we deal and the pain we feel. I know this sin and the pain caused by it will lead to my death as well, but I am confident that because of the death of my God in my place for my sin, that the victory and sting of death will not stand against me but that a better death and a better blood covers my inky black soul and makes me white as snow. In Jesus is the only place where black and red equal white. So, If you're hurting, know that He hurt as well. When you are aching, know He is ready to heal. And when you are dying know that He has been there and back and if you trust in His life. death and resurrection that it will not hold you back either. SIn equals death, but death has been taken care of for those who believe. Life is pain, but pain is only a mile-marker in the journey of faith. Hurt is there, but healing is not far off.

I hurt.... but He hurt for me.

7 Reasons Why the Church is Not a Club.

I have been seeing a trend, actually its more of a mindset that is bothering me in the church lately. I am going to keep it brief, but here in short are 7 reasons why the church is not, and should not be a club.

1.
-A club exists to serve the needs of the members.
-The Church exists to be the light of the world.(Matt. 5:14)
2.
-A club exists to promote the values of the club.
-The Church exists to point to Jesus, and only Jesus.(1 Cor. 2:1-2)
3.
-A club is focused inwardly
-The Church is focused externally.(Matt. 28:19-20)
4.
-A club pursues people with similar goals and interests.
-The Church pursues every tribe, nation and tongue(Rev. 14:6)
5.
-A club focuses on the good of the club.
-The Church focuses on being the salt of the Earth.(Matt.5:13)
6.
-A club relies on club leadership to plan, execute and promote said club
-The Church is a body where every part works together for the purpose of Christ.(1 Cor.12:27,Rom. 12:5)
7.
-A club meeting only consists of members of the club.
-A Church service consists of people who love Jesus, don't love Jesus and have never heard of the Gospel of Jesus.(The whole book of Acts)

JC, John Stamos and the day I met Keya.

So, after an unexpectedly refreshing night of talk and funny red and white cards I realized how much I truly love conversation. Some might see it as a quirk or flaw, but I thoroughly enjoy being able to talk to anybody at anytime about almost anything. I know some of my friends find it endearing yet tiresome my ability to talk and ask questions, but I think there is something deeper here than my gift of gab. Why do we love to communicate? what is about our humanity that yearns for community and expression? I wonder about this quite a bit, and then i came across this peculiar passage in the book of Genesis.

" Then God said, Let US make man in OUR own image, in our likeness....."

Genesis 1:26 (emphasis added)

So, I at first was very confused by this, particularly by the words US and OUR. Now I was no theologian, but I could have sworn there was only one God in the Bible. As I continued to study I realized that God is a relational God because He is on community with Himself. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all are God and all have personalities and voices that make them unique while still maintaining unity. I know as Augustine said " If you reject the Trinity you lose your soul and if your try to explain it, you lose your mind" but i am just trying to figure out what the image of God looks like. I am glad that the Doctrine of the Trinity is true, because if God were by Himself not 3 in 1, then I imagine He would get rather lonely. But I know that God is fully fulfilled in part or in whole because of the His Trinitarian nature.

This is why the Bible says that "God is love."(1 John 4:8) He is the fullest example of love because the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father and so on and so forth. So, in this we see why we as humans, created in the image of God desire community, expression and love. We are just emulating our Creator. If we could actually get this concept, wouldn't the world be such a better place? thats why living Imago Dei (the image of God) is so important because the way we treat the Created is how we treat the Creator.

An In-ignorable Humility.

In the last week, I have had an epiphany of sorts. Thanks to my friends JR and Spectacular, I have come to realize that it always seems to be the good(and by good I mean loving, caring and obedient) christians that think they are bad and the bad(and by bad I mean apathetic and anti-altruistic) christians that seem to think they are good. I think that the "bad" ones think that they are bad because they are comparing themselves to others who have a rigid sound theology and memorized doctrine(which by all means is important). But they will go out of their way to help out a friend or stranger in need. The "good" christians on the other hand are planted firm in their theology, with their creeds memorized and their bibles ready to "do battle", but fail to see the hurting dying world that so desperately needs them to be the hands and feet of the Jesus they so diligently study.

As i was saying, last week I had what you would say a "living discrepancy." I was without a place to lay my head for a couple days and my above listed friends came to my rescue; calling people with empty couches and even paying for a hotel room one night. I was blown away because these particular friends are always telling me how they feel like they are bad christians because they don't study the bible enough or don't know exactly what they believe. all the while I have friends who are in bible college or in ministry in some capacity who don't see the opportunities to serve "the least of these" outside of scheduled homeless outreaches' and troubled youth camps. This all comes down to an in-ignorable humility that followers of Christ should ooze out. Instead of being proud of our knowledge and values we should humbly accept the opportunities we get to serve others.

So, Jr and Spectacular, i want to thank you for being Jesus for me when I needed Him. I think He is very proud of you.

Where are you Lord?

Last night, after a eye-opening experience at RHOP(the Roseville House Of Prayer) I realized why I haven't felt that God is near lately. This may seem way too simple, but as followers of Christ we are supposed to follow him. That means we will want to go where He is going. As Jesus goes to and fro, we should "be covered in the dust of our Rabbi." We should want to be where he is and not where we want to be. Now as a semi-affluent but rebellious American I have been constantly covered in not dust, but in comfort and complacency, and I am fairly certain that Jesus is not hanging out at Starbucks in Suburbia. Now thats not to say that the coffee-shop goers are being neglected, but we have to keep ourselves in check and realize who is leading us. Are pride, comfort and success leading us down their path, or is Jesus leading us down His dusty trail? I hope as you read this your prayer would be "Take me with you, Lord. I want to go where you are going. I want to be where you are."

So continually ask your self, "do you want to go where Jesus is?" Because He is not always where we'd expect Him to be.

Sneaky Jesus...