Going to Church

Going to Church

This phrase should be eliminated from my vocabulary. I know this may seem like an extreme action towards what could seem like such an innocent little phrase. I mean how many times have I said it myself and with no real thought to what I am saying. But honestly how twisted have we made our concept of church. In our culture you "go" to church instead "be" the church and this misconception is making us a joke. The mindset Consumerism has forced or seduced (i'm not sure which one) us into making church a competitive sport. Who can put together the best band with the best song list paired with some nifty audio/visual bit to tug on people's heart strings followed by the most charismatic, entertaining speaker we can find. Because as we all know without a gifted communicator there really is no hope having a "big church" followed by that big tithe. I'm not saying that services done at high level are a bad thing, but when that becomes where the resources of the church are spent that is a problem. When a group of believers are spending millions of dollars and thousands of hours making their buildings comfortable and their auditoriums perfect we have missed the calling of what it means to be the church. Don't get me wrong, I think musicians should play and play well, to lead us in a musical form of worship. Teachers should teach and teach well, helping us discern the Word of God and how it applies to us. But when we are gearing everything we do at worship service to draw in more people, something is off. When we are depending on a service to meet needs instead of ourselves, something is off. When most church "go-ers" spend more time complaining about the volume level of the music, song selection, children's ministry, or sermon than they do feeding the homeless and taking care of orphans, something is off. When church leaders treat their church community as their own personal empire, something is off. When the church body is dependent on their church leader in order to grow in Christ, something is off.

I know my complaining and bit of ranting about issues I see in the church makes me no different than those I have issue with. I just know that Christ did not live the life He did, die the death He did, and come back to life for His followers to congregate in our comfortable buildings, nitpicking about nonsense. He invites is into a life where we lay it all down so others can experience Him. He invites into a life where we participate in the restoration of creation, to life where we love each other so fiercely that the lost and hurting are drawn to us. I simply suggest that being a follower of Christ requires to do just that follow, not sit, not complain, but get up and follow Him.

In no way am I naive enough to think what I am saying is easy, it will be difficult, but it will be worth it. We will get hurt, but He will heal our hearts. It will be uncomfortable, but we will not be bored. So I ask, if you are a Christian, are you following or sitting?

PS.

If following Christ leads you to participate in a community of believers that gathers together and enjoys a high level service, I think that's great, just please don't get caught up being an observer instead of a follower of Christ.

day to day

I may be dillusinal, but I have this expectation to find something in life that I was created to do.  Like eventually, if we listen to God and don't settle, we will have this moment where everything is greatness and yell out "this is what i was put on this earth to do!"  Sure there will days, even weeks where everything goes crazy and you wonder "what am i doing right now", but for the most part you love what you do and life is good.  I feel like we all can get this if we push hard enough.  For me, I have spent quite a bit of time recently wondering, "what am i doing, exactly" but I do believe this is where God has led me and so I am doing my best to find the " this is what i was made for" role, feeling, or whatever it may be.  I am currently getting glimpses of what that looks like, and that is enough to keep me going.  

Significance

I have been recently having some confusion/frustration with the community group my wife and I lead.  Quite literally, at times, I am sitting there on Monday nights wondering "what in the world is going on right here" "why is this significant enough for people to even show up?"  

but

this morning I gained some clarity.  I do this to see people come alive.  To see people engage their relationship with God at deeper levels.   I do it to see people who are hurting, reserved,  and insecure engage friendships, receive some healing and find security in our community.  I do it so that people know, they are taken seriously.  

I do it because I want to provide a place where people can engage life to the fullest.  Where they can be real, let people see their ugliness and but keep fighting for beauty.  A place where they find other real people who don't have all the answers but want to journey side by side, bearing each other's burdens and speaking truth to one another.  Where righteousness purity, love, friendship are held as high values, but not used for condemnation.

I do it for Restoration.  to see people's hearts restored,  made whole, and able to love as Christ loves us.  

I know what we do is not perfect and I wouldn't want it to be..... but these things I have talked about are worth fighting for.  People's hearts are worth fighting for... and this is what I want our group to be about.  Fighting for each other, when we cannot fight for ourselves.  

South Africa

I would imagine that most of you that would possibly read this blog would have already heard me share my experiences and thoughts earlier, but I am trying to put more things in writing, so that I don't forget the emotions and process that God puts me through.  

My trip to Africa was a mixed bag of frustration, realization, eye-opening and touching experiences.  

Frustration:  I was injured (ankle) and then I got sick, spending two days throwing up and ending up in the ER with an iv b/c of dehydration.   I was thinking going into this trip that my role was going to be more physical.  Playing soccer, physical labor, running around with the kids is what I envisioned.  Two days before we leave I turn my ankle pretty badly, the doctor recommended I reschedule my trip.  OK, I change my focus, thinking my role can be relational, connecting with our team and the people working for 10,000 Homes.  Nope, as soon as we get there I spend two days by myself and unable to really connect with the team. 

Realization:  With all the throwing up and time alone, I realized that the things I am doing here, at home, are the things that God wants me doing.  On every other trip I have felt fully alive and in tune with God's will, but now I am in the middle of God's will in my every day.  I realized that what I love about trips is the intense community that it creates and that I can't wait to go on a trip with the people I am in community with.  

Eye-opening:  I have been on trips where I have seen extreme poverty.  The area's in Africa that we visited did not live in the extreme poverty that I have seen, don't get me wrong they have very little.  However, the eye-opening thing is how disease is destroying this culture.  It is hard to establish systems, economically or socially, because you cannot build on people, they are sick and dying.  HIV, malaria and other diseases are ripping the heart out of Africa and it's heart breaking.

Touching:  Attending church in Africa was awesome.  They do not have a band, lighting, thermostats or some dynamic speaker, but they all fully engaged every second of being together.  In America, if the song isn't what we want, or it was too cold, or the speaker wasn't funny, or the people get on our nerves, we check out, we leave, we get in our car and drive to the next church hoping they can do things just how we want them.  The believers in Africa inspired me to appreciate community, to engage with all my heart, and to love and worship God under any circumstance.   

The people in Africa told me they were praying for me.  For my work and for my ministry.  Join me in lifting them up, that God will be near to them and keep them strong in the face of much adversity.

Life

The past few weeks have been.... wonderfully difficult.  I have found myself confused but yet at the same time finding some very good clarity.  Terrified but excited.  Beaten down but at the same time stronger than ever.  It is like life is hitting me to the fullest and I have no idea what to do.

First off, Mindie and I are pregnat!  Which I am stoked about.  I really like the idea of being a father.  I feel like God has been developing a father's heart in me since I was a little kid.  I have always liked being around and doing my part to take care of younger people.  And I know that my wife is going to be an awesome mother!  I can't wait to see her live that out.  This would be the terrified but excited.

Right now, our community is in the proces of making some changes.  We are becoming more independent, which means we need to start defining things and roles for everyone.  The community cannot be healthy without each individual doing their part to live out the values have been talking about.  But in this process of definition we there has been quite a bit of miscommunication and confusion.  In the midst of the confusion some great clarity has come about.  We know that our values cannot be things that people hope to be swept into, they are things that individuals create for themselves. (Confusion, but clarity) 

  People have been offended and hurt.  I have felt the brunt of these instances.  But at the same time I have seen some people be more real and come more to life than ever before, which has been so encouraging.  (Beaten/but yet stronger)

I definitely do not write this to complain, b/c I am so thankful that God has created a life that has such complex struggle and simple joy.  I love that this life was created for us to share with each other.  I love my friends and my family.  I love that we push through the hard times and enjoy the blessings together.  I am blessed and thankful.