Ever since I can remember I've dreamed of going to Africa. It's where my heart has always been. I love preaching the gospel through words and just the way I live my life, but there is perhaps no greater way I enjoy showing God's love than serving. I love getting my hands dirty, doing manual labor for those who need it.
In a little over a day, my dream comes true. Friday at 3:30pm I'll be boarding a plane (well, one of many) that will eventually take me to Nairobi, Kenya. There I will spend a little over three weeks working at an orphanage, loving on Africa's unlovable. We work at the orphanage Monday-Friday, 8-4, cooking and cleaning, but you can stay until 6 to spend quality time with the kids. Weekends are the volunteers time off to travel or do as they please, however you are able to come in Saturdays and do Bible studies in the slums.
A lot of people have asked if I'll visit Tanzania and see Mt. Kilimanjaro, or if I'll go on any safaris. It's not that these aren't great opportunities, but they're not why I'm going. My main ministry and focus is the children. If I can stay late and come in Saturdays to see them, I will. At the same time, I do have great opportunities with fellow volunteers and my host family. It is my prayer to call upon the Spirit and seek the Lord in how to wisely spend my short time overseas.
My heart for this particular trip can not be better described than anyone but my old brother James, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." 1:27
Can I get an amen!?
Most of the children I'll be working with (babies up through age 17) who have lost their parents as a result of AIDS. They are orphans by African standards, but they do have a loving Father I plan to tell them about daily.
When I was writing my first support letters I focused on only the beginning of this verse, completely over-looking what is now one of my favorite commands, "to keep oneself unstained from the world."
I am going to Africa to serve, but I have quickly realized that God may do more work in me than I do in the hearts and minds of the orphans I'll be spending time with.
I'm using this month in Africa as an incredible season to seek the Lord with as few worldly distractions as possible. Where I'm going there is no electricity and no running water. I could not be more excited! The best week of my life was spent without either.
Everything I have here that I choose to rely on before God I will not have there. So often I hide behind make-up, hair-care products, cute clothes, food, music, my cell phone, facebook, running, and yes, even ministry. I will have none of those things. While I'm excited to stand openly before the Lord, I know it will be difficult (to say the least). And, I would not be surprised if I find other things to still place before Him.
Beyond all of that, I'm also excited in how God will use this trip in preparing me to one day be a wife and mother. I was reading a book a few months back that had one of the best explanations for how to live as a single Christian I've ever read. In this author's view, singleness is not a time to sit and wallow and wait, feeling like a second-class citizen. Being single is the time you prepare for marriage. Why not work to get the sin issues in your life under control now? Why not learn to cook and clean and teach children? Or, as a man, why not spend that time learning how to be a Godly man, to lead others, to be financially independent? Being single is a time to prepare.
Which reminds me of Christ’s birth. It was the preparation of nerve endings for nails. It was the preparation of a brow for a crown of thorns. Jesus needed a broad back so the whip could tear His flesh. He needed feet so that there was a place for spikes. He needed a side so that there was a place for the spear. He needed a brain and a spinal column, so that the fullness of the pain could be fully felt. Preparation is a beautiful, necessary thing.
While it may be years and years in the future, I want to have prepared well for my future husband so when we do finally meet (God-willing), I can spend my time working with Him for the Kingdom, rather than scrambling to try and balance all of my new duties while still dealing with sins I could have confronted years before. Besides, marriage will bring out plenty more to encounter. I can almost see my time at the orphanage as a sort of short, intensive future wife/mother boot camp. So awesome!
That is my excitement for going, but there is also fear. I've never traveled alone overseas. Particularly to a relatively unstable central African nation. Nairobi is one of the most violent cities in the world, and the fact that I am both American and white make me an even larger target. Between that, infectious diseases, and over twenty hours of plane travel, I have moments of weakness and doubt. And for these doubts and worries I ask for your prayers.
Tutaonana. (so long).
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Men Like Trees
My relationship with Christian brothers and how I see them, interact with them, and love them has changed drastically over the years.
I spent most of my life as the athletic tom-boy who is just "one of the guys." I would hang out with any guy, or group of guys, that asked, at any hour of the day or night. But things began to radically change the more I asked the Holy Spirit into my life.
For the most part, I believe my heart in re-defining and refining my male friendships was pure. But this spring I was challenged on that point.
I remember like it was last night, one of my beloved Bible study leaders stood outside with me after a study where I had shared an abundance about my past. She lovingly hugged me and affirmed that I'd been through a lot. I remember her telling me how some people are just called to suffer so many injustices and that it just never seemed to make sense. She encouraged me by pointing out that I took blame for my own sin in my story, never down-playing the consequences that were justified by my disobedience, but so much of the pain in my life was unjustified. So, she sat and prayed with me that I would experience greener pastures.
I over-analyze everything, so in pride I'm often shocked when someone points out something in my life I hadn't already thought about. So thank the Lord Deb is such a wise woman. She pointed out that my deepest wounds and pain all came from men, and out of loving concern she told me to be careful to not grow embittered towards men, as she'd seen it happen from other women with stories like mine.
I was dumb-founded by her observation. I had always loved being around men, it never occurred to me that I could grow to dislike or distrust even Godly men. Because of this I wanted to brush off what she said, but I so respect her wisdom that I spent the night chewing on what she said.
And boy, was she right. This last spring semester I had thrown myself head-first into ministry with the women I led in Bible study and discipled. I thought this was a great thing. It was their last semester here after leading them for years, so I convinced myself that I was making them a priority and justified my semester-long shunning of anything with a Y-chromosome.
Surrounding yourself with same-sex friends is one thing, a good thing. But getting angry when men are around is a whole other thing. For months I put absolutely no effort into sustaining my friendships with any of them. And I was in complete denial. I wasn't doing this for the benefit of their hearts or mine, I was acting in fear. Men to me represented pain, and if there were no men in my life, I couldn't get hurt.
I immediately took this realization to the Lord, repenting of my anger and mistrust of His sons, but not entirely ready to give it up.
But, boy did my ever-faithful Papa deliver. Within days He brought more amazing men into my life than I could ever ask for. Thankfully, these weren't romantic suitors either, as that wasn't what I needed, they were completely and 100% friends. They brought me cookies and cupcakes and polar pops after my car accident, they encouraged me to be a better woman of God, they trusted me and asked my counsel on things. They loved me in a way I'd never been loved by men and they did it through the context of completely and wonderfully pure friendships.
I fell in love with men this summer. Not romantically, but I spent the last two years loving women and female fellowship (which I still adore). But, this summer, God gave me a heart for men. He helped me to understand them, to love them in our differences, and most importantly, to respect them.
Then, as I so often do, I took an amazing gift from God and turned it into an idol. Today God used some scripture, and a few great words from Beth Moore to open my eyes and allow me to see men as He wants me to. As just that, men.
Now, this is a confusing verse, and I'm not sure Beth's interpretation is how most would take it, but it worked for me today. Which I suppose is one of the great mysteries of God's Word, that He reserves the right to retain His mystery. (And, if you have a different interpretation, please share! I love hearing others thoughts).
"Jesus came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly." Mark 8:22-25
What struck Beth odd, and now strikes me odd as well, is that there was a partial healing here. In every other Gospel story, and really in almost all of scripture I'd argue, when there was a physical healing it was a full healing. The person, blind, paralytic, dead, demon-possessed, whatever the case, they came out from Jesus' healing hand completely restored.
Not here.
"I see men like trees, walking."
His sight wasn't fully restored, he could make out men, but not clearly. His vision wasn't fully healed.
"He put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly."
Now, I tend to believe Jesus could have healed this man the first time, which means God was showing us something else here.
Here's Beth's interpretation. This man's first view of the world is the way we can sometimes see the world. Our view is distorted, and as a result of our flesh and emotions, we "see men like trees, walking." They're not peers, not fellow humans. Our female eyes build tall pillars to place most men on top of. This is not to say that our brothers are not amazing men, who are fearfully and wonderfully made. Nor is it to say they don't deserve love or respect.
The problem comes when we as women stop seeing them as fellow sinners with imperfections. The problem is when we see them as infallible gods who can do no wrong, and then we place all our hopes and dreams on them instead of the Lord. When we do this, we kill our beloved brothers with unfair expectations, and we run to the Lord with broken hearts wondering why these men couldn't save us. Amazing men, who are already wrought with their own insecurities, self-doubts, weaknesses, and fears of failure, feel this weight even stronger when we see them as nothing more than strong, towering, mighty, muscular trees.
If women hang their hopes on women, or vice-versa, they're not seeing clearly.
I love what Beth's daughter says about her husband. "I am so blessed. He only gains my respect as time goes on. I've seen him grow like crazy, but it also occurs to me that the devil doesn't want to trip up any man on earth more than a man like him. He's a great guy, but he's just flesh and blood just like the rest of us. God has taught me not to put any confidence in the flesh." Here, she's not speaking ill of her husband, she sees him as a wonderful man, worthy of respect, but she refuses to see him as an invincible tree, walking.
Luckily, when our vision is blurry and we fail to see things through God's eyes, He fully restores us by having us look up.
Perhaps I am the blind man (woman) in Mark's gospel. "He asked [her] if [she] saw anything. And [she] looked up and said, 'I see men like trees, walking.' Then He put His hands on [her] eyes again and made [her] look up."
It is my prayer that when my vision is blurry and selfish, that I will not fight God's hand, gently lifting my chin heavenward, to gaze upon Him and His glory. I pray to see men as men, no longer like trees. I pray I will not minimize them, feminize them, or idolize them, but rather I will pray for them, walk next to them, respect them, and intercede for them as brothers who need the Lord as desperately as I do. I've seen men as both gods and devils, but now I pray I see them as men with God-given wisdom, and feet of clay. And I pray for restored vision, and that God will continue to prune me and remind me that, ironically, we see things more clearly when we're looking up.
I spent most of my life as the athletic tom-boy who is just "one of the guys." I would hang out with any guy, or group of guys, that asked, at any hour of the day or night. But things began to radically change the more I asked the Holy Spirit into my life.
For the most part, I believe my heart in re-defining and refining my male friendships was pure. But this spring I was challenged on that point.
I remember like it was last night, one of my beloved Bible study leaders stood outside with me after a study where I had shared an abundance about my past. She lovingly hugged me and affirmed that I'd been through a lot. I remember her telling me how some people are just called to suffer so many injustices and that it just never seemed to make sense. She encouraged me by pointing out that I took blame for my own sin in my story, never down-playing the consequences that were justified by my disobedience, but so much of the pain in my life was unjustified. So, she sat and prayed with me that I would experience greener pastures.
I over-analyze everything, so in pride I'm often shocked when someone points out something in my life I hadn't already thought about. So thank the Lord Deb is such a wise woman. She pointed out that my deepest wounds and pain all came from men, and out of loving concern she told me to be careful to not grow embittered towards men, as she'd seen it happen from other women with stories like mine.
I was dumb-founded by her observation. I had always loved being around men, it never occurred to me that I could grow to dislike or distrust even Godly men. Because of this I wanted to brush off what she said, but I so respect her wisdom that I spent the night chewing on what she said.
And boy, was she right. This last spring semester I had thrown myself head-first into ministry with the women I led in Bible study and discipled. I thought this was a great thing. It was their last semester here after leading them for years, so I convinced myself that I was making them a priority and justified my semester-long shunning of anything with a Y-chromosome.
Surrounding yourself with same-sex friends is one thing, a good thing. But getting angry when men are around is a whole other thing. For months I put absolutely no effort into sustaining my friendships with any of them. And I was in complete denial. I wasn't doing this for the benefit of their hearts or mine, I was acting in fear. Men to me represented pain, and if there were no men in my life, I couldn't get hurt.
I immediately took this realization to the Lord, repenting of my anger and mistrust of His sons, but not entirely ready to give it up.
But, boy did my ever-faithful Papa deliver. Within days He brought more amazing men into my life than I could ever ask for. Thankfully, these weren't romantic suitors either, as that wasn't what I needed, they were completely and 100% friends. They brought me cookies and cupcakes and polar pops after my car accident, they encouraged me to be a better woman of God, they trusted me and asked my counsel on things. They loved me in a way I'd never been loved by men and they did it through the context of completely and wonderfully pure friendships.
I fell in love with men this summer. Not romantically, but I spent the last two years loving women and female fellowship (which I still adore). But, this summer, God gave me a heart for men. He helped me to understand them, to love them in our differences, and most importantly, to respect them.
Then, as I so often do, I took an amazing gift from God and turned it into an idol. Today God used some scripture, and a few great words from Beth Moore to open my eyes and allow me to see men as He wants me to. As just that, men.
Now, this is a confusing verse, and I'm not sure Beth's interpretation is how most would take it, but it worked for me today. Which I suppose is one of the great mysteries of God's Word, that He reserves the right to retain His mystery. (And, if you have a different interpretation, please share! I love hearing others thoughts).
"Jesus came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly." Mark 8:22-25
What struck Beth odd, and now strikes me odd as well, is that there was a partial healing here. In every other Gospel story, and really in almost all of scripture I'd argue, when there was a physical healing it was a full healing. The person, blind, paralytic, dead, demon-possessed, whatever the case, they came out from Jesus' healing hand completely restored.
Not here.
"I see men like trees, walking."
His sight wasn't fully restored, he could make out men, but not clearly. His vision wasn't fully healed.
"He put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly."
Now, I tend to believe Jesus could have healed this man the first time, which means God was showing us something else here.
Here's Beth's interpretation. This man's first view of the world is the way we can sometimes see the world. Our view is distorted, and as a result of our flesh and emotions, we "see men like trees, walking." They're not peers, not fellow humans. Our female eyes build tall pillars to place most men on top of. This is not to say that our brothers are not amazing men, who are fearfully and wonderfully made. Nor is it to say they don't deserve love or respect.
The problem comes when we as women stop seeing them as fellow sinners with imperfections. The problem is when we see them as infallible gods who can do no wrong, and then we place all our hopes and dreams on them instead of the Lord. When we do this, we kill our beloved brothers with unfair expectations, and we run to the Lord with broken hearts wondering why these men couldn't save us. Amazing men, who are already wrought with their own insecurities, self-doubts, weaknesses, and fears of failure, feel this weight even stronger when we see them as nothing more than strong, towering, mighty, muscular trees.
If women hang their hopes on women, or vice-versa, they're not seeing clearly.
I love what Beth's daughter says about her husband. "I am so blessed. He only gains my respect as time goes on. I've seen him grow like crazy, but it also occurs to me that the devil doesn't want to trip up any man on earth more than a man like him. He's a great guy, but he's just flesh and blood just like the rest of us. God has taught me not to put any confidence in the flesh." Here, she's not speaking ill of her husband, she sees him as a wonderful man, worthy of respect, but she refuses to see him as an invincible tree, walking.
Luckily, when our vision is blurry and we fail to see things through God's eyes, He fully restores us by having us look up.
Perhaps I am the blind man (woman) in Mark's gospel. "He asked [her] if [she] saw anything. And [she] looked up and said, 'I see men like trees, walking.' Then He put His hands on [her] eyes again and made [her] look up."
It is my prayer that when my vision is blurry and selfish, that I will not fight God's hand, gently lifting my chin heavenward, to gaze upon Him and His glory. I pray to see men as men, no longer like trees. I pray I will not minimize them, feminize them, or idolize them, but rather I will pray for them, walk next to them, respect them, and intercede for them as brothers who need the Lord as desperately as I do. I've seen men as both gods and devils, but now I pray I see them as men with God-given wisdom, and feet of clay. And I pray for restored vision, and that God will continue to prune me and remind me that, ironically, we see things more clearly when we're looking up.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Hook and the Bait
A few days ago I went running on one of my favorite paths in Bloomington. I adore it. It's so close to another more well-known path that this little trail seems almost forgotten. I love forgotten things, and taking the road less traveled. I greatly enjoy trying to bring the dead back to life, and to create paths where there wasn't one before. The ground on this trail is exceedingly narrow, overgrown with plants, and devoid of runners to trample the path back into submission. There are also a few exceedingly old bridges (probably my favorite part) that seem to barely hold your weight as you trek across them. Aesthetically, the path is absolutely breath-taking.
The problem is, this path is dangerous. On my first run here I fell in love with this quaint trail. Less than a few hundred feet in I looked down and saw a snake literally slithering alongside my feet. Rather than jumping in fear, I was surprisingly mesmerized by the snake and found it rather incredible that I could be so think in the brush and backwoods of Bloomington that I could run with snakes. I immediately was sold in coming back here for future runs.
The second time I ran down this path, I can't even explain on this blog the sad sight my eyes stumbled upon. It was sketchy and disturbing, and still I went back.
The third time I ran there I was chased down and attacked by a ferocious dog. And I'm not referring to a barking dog just warning me away from his home. I'm talking about a wild beast biting at my legs and feet, as we both dead-sprinted for at least 200 meters before he retreated and I nearly fell over in exhaustion. It took a while to get over this fear, but in the end, I went back in stubborn disobedience, even when loved one's encouraged me not to.
A few days ago I ran down this path again and I was attacked before I even made it to the trails entrance. I was chased down by a duck. Yes, you read that right, a duck... Before you laugh too hard, they get a little scary when they flap their wings at you, squawk, bite at your legs. Still, I ran on, heart racing, nervously laughing at the absurdity of what had just happened.
As I ran down the trail to it's end and back I ran past more than one sketchy-looking men, just sauntering around back there. Why in the world these men (who were not in running clothes) were back here I have no idea, but it was enough to make a girl's heart jump through her chest, and cause her to check behind herself while running multiple times to confirm no one was following her.
Upon exiting the path and taking off on safer roads for home, I realized that as beautiful as this path was, it always left me wrought with fear. A fear that held me captive and had become so strong that it robbed the beauty of this path from it's formerly serene landscape. And I couldn't help but imagine how similarly sin poisons are lives.
Some of the sin we engage in does open our eyes to beautiful things, but sin is still dangerous and not without consequence or fear. Satan tempts us through beauty and reals us in by literally slithering at our feet, charming us with his own beauty and mystery. And the problem is, once we are deceived and experience sin we often find ourselves wanting more.
Despite all the tell-tale warning signs we run on. For a while we press on in in naive ignorance. Then, we're so drawn to sin that nothing can stop us. Not spiritual attacks, not Godly counsel. We become stubborn, self-sufficient, and disobedient. It takes a while before fear sets in, but eventually, it takes over.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18
The only fear we should have is fear of the Lord.
I have decided that I will never run down that path again. No matter how much I try to justify it. It's not worth the risk. I realized this last night as I sat with a dear friend for three hours talking over and crying through the sin in her life. Sometimes we have to take radical steps to avoid sin.
Pastor Mark Driscoll gave a sermon on this very idea that completely changed the way I look at temptation.
----
"Most of you don’t believe this: escape is always possible. What happens is, for some of us, the hook has been there so long that it’s like, “I can’t ever get free of it. I used to eat all the bait. Now, I eat some of the bait. I used to eat the bait every week, now I only eat the bait once a month.”
Or, “I eat the bait, but it’s my dad’s fault, he ate the bait too and it’s a habitual family issue. My counselor says it’s a genetic issue. I come from a long line of people who are addicted to this particular bait. I can’t really stop.” So, I need to blame someone else, manage it, and hide it. “Oh, I’ll just go over here in the dark all by myself and I’ll eat my bait and I’ll put the hook in my mouth. But, if I do it privately, it won’t count.” God’s there too.
See, some of you would take the bait and you’ll put it, you’ll walk so close to it. Like, “Oh my goodness, look at that. That’s amazing. I would like to eat that, smoke that, drink that, get my hands on that, do that twice.” God would say, “Hey, there’s a door over here that’s open and you could walk out it and be free.” “I don’t see any door.” “Really? Well, there is one right over there.” “Yeah, this is so big and so real and so awesome and so close.” God would say, “Do you see the hook?” “No, I don’t see the hook. I see some pretty amazing bait.”
The truth is you have two choices: the hook or the door. You either bite the hook or run out the door. Those are your only options. I’ll give you a verse, so that I can win: 1 Corinthians 10:13–14, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Don’t worship anything or anyone other than God.
What he’s saying is this. When temptation comes, keep your senses. Look for the way out. There is a door of escape somewhere. There’s a way out of it. Some of you have said for so long, “Well, I’m already dating them. I’m already at the club. I’ve already logged onto the internet. I already started this conversation, you know. I’m already halfway there.” Run. Run out the door of opportunity that God gives.
You have two choices, friends, the hook or the door. You bite the hook or run out the door. Your whole life, it utterly depends on the decisions you make in those moments. There’s always a way out. You and I, we love to always be the victim. “I couldn’t help it. It was not my fault, my friends blank, my life blank, this blank, God that.” No way. The door was open and your eyes were closed. Repentance is believing that. Some of you need to go back over your life history and some of the major traumatic decisions you made and say, “Holy Spirit, show me where the door was open so that I can repent of having my eyes closed. And please help me to keep my eyes open. And please help me to keep my feet moving.”
----
Sometimes we can't step foot inside a room because we'll lose sight of the door of escape God provides us. I now understand the weight of temptation and sin, and would rather avoid the path, then fearfully hope I'll make it out unscathed.
God has another path for me that is just as beautiful as the first path, but will be even more beautiful because I will run down it free from fear.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
The problem is, this path is dangerous. On my first run here I fell in love with this quaint trail. Less than a few hundred feet in I looked down and saw a snake literally slithering alongside my feet. Rather than jumping in fear, I was surprisingly mesmerized by the snake and found it rather incredible that I could be so think in the brush and backwoods of Bloomington that I could run with snakes. I immediately was sold in coming back here for future runs.
The second time I ran down this path, I can't even explain on this blog the sad sight my eyes stumbled upon. It was sketchy and disturbing, and still I went back.
The third time I ran there I was chased down and attacked by a ferocious dog. And I'm not referring to a barking dog just warning me away from his home. I'm talking about a wild beast biting at my legs and feet, as we both dead-sprinted for at least 200 meters before he retreated and I nearly fell over in exhaustion. It took a while to get over this fear, but in the end, I went back in stubborn disobedience, even when loved one's encouraged me not to.
A few days ago I ran down this path again and I was attacked before I even made it to the trails entrance. I was chased down by a duck. Yes, you read that right, a duck... Before you laugh too hard, they get a little scary when they flap their wings at you, squawk, bite at your legs. Still, I ran on, heart racing, nervously laughing at the absurdity of what had just happened.
As I ran down the trail to it's end and back I ran past more than one sketchy-looking men, just sauntering around back there. Why in the world these men (who were not in running clothes) were back here I have no idea, but it was enough to make a girl's heart jump through her chest, and cause her to check behind herself while running multiple times to confirm no one was following her.
Upon exiting the path and taking off on safer roads for home, I realized that as beautiful as this path was, it always left me wrought with fear. A fear that held me captive and had become so strong that it robbed the beauty of this path from it's formerly serene landscape. And I couldn't help but imagine how similarly sin poisons are lives.
Some of the sin we engage in does open our eyes to beautiful things, but sin is still dangerous and not without consequence or fear. Satan tempts us through beauty and reals us in by literally slithering at our feet, charming us with his own beauty and mystery. And the problem is, once we are deceived and experience sin we often find ourselves wanting more.
Despite all the tell-tale warning signs we run on. For a while we press on in in naive ignorance. Then, we're so drawn to sin that nothing can stop us. Not spiritual attacks, not Godly counsel. We become stubborn, self-sufficient, and disobedient. It takes a while before fear sets in, but eventually, it takes over.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18
The only fear we should have is fear of the Lord.
I have decided that I will never run down that path again. No matter how much I try to justify it. It's not worth the risk. I realized this last night as I sat with a dear friend for three hours talking over and crying through the sin in her life. Sometimes we have to take radical steps to avoid sin.
Pastor Mark Driscoll gave a sermon on this very idea that completely changed the way I look at temptation.
----
"Most of you don’t believe this: escape is always possible. What happens is, for some of us, the hook has been there so long that it’s like, “I can’t ever get free of it. I used to eat all the bait. Now, I eat some of the bait. I used to eat the bait every week, now I only eat the bait once a month.”
Or, “I eat the bait, but it’s my dad’s fault, he ate the bait too and it’s a habitual family issue. My counselor says it’s a genetic issue. I come from a long line of people who are addicted to this particular bait. I can’t really stop.” So, I need to blame someone else, manage it, and hide it. “Oh, I’ll just go over here in the dark all by myself and I’ll eat my bait and I’ll put the hook in my mouth. But, if I do it privately, it won’t count.” God’s there too.
See, some of you would take the bait and you’ll put it, you’ll walk so close to it. Like, “Oh my goodness, look at that. That’s amazing. I would like to eat that, smoke that, drink that, get my hands on that, do that twice.” God would say, “Hey, there’s a door over here that’s open and you could walk out it and be free.” “I don’t see any door.” “Really? Well, there is one right over there.” “Yeah, this is so big and so real and so awesome and so close.” God would say, “Do you see the hook?” “No, I don’t see the hook. I see some pretty amazing bait.”
The truth is you have two choices: the hook or the door. You either bite the hook or run out the door. Those are your only options. I’ll give you a verse, so that I can win: 1 Corinthians 10:13–14, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Don’t worship anything or anyone other than God.
What he’s saying is this. When temptation comes, keep your senses. Look for the way out. There is a door of escape somewhere. There’s a way out of it. Some of you have said for so long, “Well, I’m already dating them. I’m already at the club. I’ve already logged onto the internet. I already started this conversation, you know. I’m already halfway there.” Run. Run out the door of opportunity that God gives.
You have two choices, friends, the hook or the door. You bite the hook or run out the door. Your whole life, it utterly depends on the decisions you make in those moments. There’s always a way out. You and I, we love to always be the victim. “I couldn’t help it. It was not my fault, my friends blank, my life blank, this blank, God that.” No way. The door was open and your eyes were closed. Repentance is believing that. Some of you need to go back over your life history and some of the major traumatic decisions you made and say, “Holy Spirit, show me where the door was open so that I can repent of having my eyes closed. And please help me to keep my eyes open. And please help me to keep my feet moving.”
----
Sometimes we can't step foot inside a room because we'll lose sight of the door of escape God provides us. I now understand the weight of temptation and sin, and would rather avoid the path, then fearfully hope I'll make it out unscathed.
God has another path for me that is just as beautiful as the first path, but will be even more beautiful because I will run down it free from fear.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
Thursday, July 1, 2010
More Like Falling in Love
"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation... The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 146:1-3, 10
I love that the first and last phrase of this psalm of David is the same. "Praise the Lord!" Great chapter to read!
If you're an avid reader of my blog (which may just be God), you know that this summer has been one of incredible fruit in my life. Never have I grown in this way, felt so blessed, and praised God so much. It feels like I'm falling in love. It's a summer of love for sure.
Anyway, despite my own growth, I've found perhaps deeper satisfaction in joy in seeing the women around me grow. God is working miracles in a few women close to me and it's been the greatest blessing ever to get to be one small instrument in God's plan for their lives.
This week in particular I've come home after a few conversations with various girls and I've literally walked into my room absolutely beaming, shut the door, and just tilted my head back, hands in the air, shouting, "Praise God! Praise God!"
The same thing, literally, happened tonight, for maybe the third time this week, when it hit me. Why am I saying, "Praise God" and not "praise You?" I'm all alone. I'm not talking to anyone else. I'm treating God as if He's an omniscient being that I can't talk to. I just have to talk about Him, in the third person.
The beautiful thing is that I have a relationship with the Lord and I can talk to Him. When I am literally overcome with praise I can personally offer that praise to the creator of the universe.
It's nothing big, just a simple conviction I had tonight that I've been up too late thinking about. Through an outreach this weekend I spent 2 hours sharing with one woman what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus, making parallels and answering questions about this concept and our relationships with people... and then I don't apply it to my own life.
Why talk about God to an empty room, when I can talk to God in His presence?
And, to share. This song has been on the radio lately and I just love it. It's a little cheesier than I usually like, but the message is good and reminds me of some of what I've been learning about lately in what a relationship with God really looks like. Enjoy.
I love that the first and last phrase of this psalm of David is the same. "Praise the Lord!" Great chapter to read!
If you're an avid reader of my blog (which may just be God), you know that this summer has been one of incredible fruit in my life. Never have I grown in this way, felt so blessed, and praised God so much. It feels like I'm falling in love. It's a summer of love for sure.
Anyway, despite my own growth, I've found perhaps deeper satisfaction in joy in seeing the women around me grow. God is working miracles in a few women close to me and it's been the greatest blessing ever to get to be one small instrument in God's plan for their lives.
This week in particular I've come home after a few conversations with various girls and I've literally walked into my room absolutely beaming, shut the door, and just tilted my head back, hands in the air, shouting, "Praise God! Praise God!"
The same thing, literally, happened tonight, for maybe the third time this week, when it hit me. Why am I saying, "Praise God" and not "praise You?" I'm all alone. I'm not talking to anyone else. I'm treating God as if He's an omniscient being that I can't talk to. I just have to talk about Him, in the third person.
The beautiful thing is that I have a relationship with the Lord and I can talk to Him. When I am literally overcome with praise I can personally offer that praise to the creator of the universe.
It's nothing big, just a simple conviction I had tonight that I've been up too late thinking about. Through an outreach this weekend I spent 2 hours sharing with one woman what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus, making parallels and answering questions about this concept and our relationships with people... and then I don't apply it to my own life.
Why talk about God to an empty room, when I can talk to God in His presence?
And, to share. This song has been on the radio lately and I just love it. It's a little cheesier than I usually like, but the message is good and reminds me of some of what I've been learning about lately in what a relationship with God really looks like. Enjoy.
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Least
I was at a wedding a couple weeks ago and have not been able to get the Maid of Honor's speech out of my head.
Unlike most single women, weddings don't make me sad or wish that I was married. Quite the opposite. Weddings are sobering to me, and seeing the love and commitment the two people are making before the world and before God reminds me just how far I am from that. I can't fathom that kind of love or commitment to any man but Jesus.
At this wedding (the 5th of 7 this summer), I decided to picture it all a little differently. I praise God for the union of Jenny and Brett, but I viewed the whole ceremony as a glimpse of Jesus and his Bride the church.
Here's the line in her speech that hit me. "I know this day is a romantic day full of your love for one another, and I can see that you're both beaming with it. But, it is my prayer that you look back on today as the day you loved each other the least."
Holy Cow! This is an amazing idea in a marriage. She was making the point that each day they'll come to know each other more, and even though the relationship will change and the passion will fade, thirty years from now, they will love each other in a richer, deeper way than they do on what they currently consider to be probably the happiest day of their lives.
I couldn't help but ask myself, was the day I accepted Jesus into my life the day I loved Him the least? I was ecstatic to know that was true in my life. I don't have the same naive passion and love for Jesus that I may have had even the first year or two, but goodness I love Him not only more, but better now.
Once you get past the honeymoon phase, inevitable hurts will happen. Joshua says it best, "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you." (Joshua 1:5). The most loving, Godly couples will experience pain and God-willing will fight through that and their own sin. Regardless, when a couple has gone through a trial their relationship comes out stronger on the other side.
The prosperity gospel doesn't exist. Accepting Jesus as our Savior doesn't mean our life will not have pain. It means that through our suffering and our trials our perseverance and God's grace and love and mercy will strengthen and deepen our relationship with Him so that we can look back on our wedding day with Him and say, "That was the day I loved you the least."
Unlike most single women, weddings don't make me sad or wish that I was married. Quite the opposite. Weddings are sobering to me, and seeing the love and commitment the two people are making before the world and before God reminds me just how far I am from that. I can't fathom that kind of love or commitment to any man but Jesus.
At this wedding (the 5th of 7 this summer), I decided to picture it all a little differently. I praise God for the union of Jenny and Brett, but I viewed the whole ceremony as a glimpse of Jesus and his Bride the church.
Here's the line in her speech that hit me. "I know this day is a romantic day full of your love for one another, and I can see that you're both beaming with it. But, it is my prayer that you look back on today as the day you loved each other the least."
Holy Cow! This is an amazing idea in a marriage. She was making the point that each day they'll come to know each other more, and even though the relationship will change and the passion will fade, thirty years from now, they will love each other in a richer, deeper way than they do on what they currently consider to be probably the happiest day of their lives.
I couldn't help but ask myself, was the day I accepted Jesus into my life the day I loved Him the least? I was ecstatic to know that was true in my life. I don't have the same naive passion and love for Jesus that I may have had even the first year or two, but goodness I love Him not only more, but better now.
Once you get past the honeymoon phase, inevitable hurts will happen. Joshua says it best, "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you." (Joshua 1:5). The most loving, Godly couples will experience pain and God-willing will fight through that and their own sin. Regardless, when a couple has gone through a trial their relationship comes out stronger on the other side.
The prosperity gospel doesn't exist. Accepting Jesus as our Savior doesn't mean our life will not have pain. It means that through our suffering and our trials our perseverance and God's grace and love and mercy will strengthen and deepen our relationship with Him so that we can look back on our wedding day with Him and say, "That was the day I loved you the least."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Foot of the Cross
Foot of the Cross is a super sweet church that meets in the Pourhouse Cafe Sunday mornings. They have a great mission, amazing vision, and a pastor that just brings it. But, what I love even more than that is who the body is made up of. It's a small church with a few families and a few college students... and a few homeless people.
I remember thinking and praying a few months ago about how to reach the homeless. I love these people. I love seeing them as people and not just creatures. It's been my passion for years to reach them emotionally through counseling. Half the reason I got into my field of psychology is so I can offer free counseling. So often those who need it most are those who can't afford it.
So often we view the homeless as helpless, dirty, deranged people looking for a free handout. When we see them asking for money we consciously make a decision. Do we give money or food? We're worried they'll spend any money we do give them on alcohol or drugs. But don't you think they need more than food and money? What about company? I sometimes wonder how long it's been since these people have had a real conversation with anyone. I often wonder, when was the last time someone simply asked them their name?
We're relational creatures. God created us to want and need love and fellowship. We'd all go a little crazy without it. But what about church? Church should be a sanctuary. The one place any living breathing being can go when the rest of their world turns their back. Unfortunately, dressing up for God has prevented this.
Sunday mornings are a time most Christians put on their Sunday best, as a sign of reverence and love to their Father. It's not wrong, in fact it's almost romantic. But, I'd be willing to bet this makes many poor and homeless people think twice before walking into a church. Prostitutes and beggars probably wouldn't feel very welcomed there.
Paul's advice to the Corinthian church, who faced a similar problem, was to abstain from idol meat. Not because it was a sin to eat it, but because it was causing others to stumble (1 Cor 8:7-13, 11:33-34).
For a while now I've developed a desire to help plant a church. And as my ideas progressed, I decided if I planted a church, I wanted it to be in the heart of some thriving downtown metropolis... somewhere close to the homeless. They are no less deserving of Jesus, a church, and the body.
Pastor Matt beat me to it here in Bloomington. Maybe we're not a thriving metropolis, but the church is located in a great section of town to reach these new and old believers.
Now, on to Matt's sermon Sunday. Here goes.
----
The book of Jonah begins with a call from God to go to Ninevah to share the good news (Jonah 1:1). For context, Ninevah would be about the equivalent of God calling you to walk over to a mosque in Iraq and share the gospel. Jonah, like so many of us, didn't trust that God could bring him through something like that, so he denied God.
Now, we disobey God all the time, but Jonah decided to not only not listen, he chose to run in the complete opposite direction. Ninevah was just barely to the north of Joppa, Jonah took off for Tarshish, which was thousands of miles to the west (1:3).
And that's not enough. Jonah is so beyond despair now that he asks to be thrown overboard. He would rather die than listen to God (1:12).
I love God's response. He doesn't get angry like I probably would and just let Jonah perish. He sends a fish to swallow him and carry him to back (1:17). It's stories like this that make many doubt God, but it just furthers my belief. Anyone writing an account of such a tale would have no reason to make this up. Who would believe them?
I digress. So God calls to Jonah a second time, "Go to Ninevah!" Finally, Jonah submits. He waltzes right into the city and simply says, "In forty days Ninevah will be overthrown." (3:4) That's all we know he said. Not a long, poetic, loving explanation of God, just "You're all so sinful that God's going to wipe you out."
Here's where it gets good (horrible grammar). The whole city turns to God!!! (3:5) And they didn't just turn to him, they believed in him and put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of humility to everyone who could see them. And it doesn't stop there. The KING does this, too. He puts his faith in God and humbles himself before his nation by taking off his royal robes (this never happens) and wears sackcloth. Beyond that, he orders the rest of his kingdom to do the same.
If the story of Jonah isn't a demonstration of the fact that salvation is a result of God's doing, not ours, then I don't know what is.
These people from Ninevah get it! How many of us would turn our life over so quickly? And how many of us trust God can reach the unreachable? That he can use us (even doubting Thomas') to turn entire nations to God with one sentence? How incredible that the people from Ninevah turn to God so quickly, when Jonah had been sharing the good news with the religious in his home town and no one there was changing anything about their lives.
So, the question is, when God calls you, do you run the other direction or do you humble yourself for all to see? Are you living in Ninevah or Israel?
I remember thinking and praying a few months ago about how to reach the homeless. I love these people. I love seeing them as people and not just creatures. It's been my passion for years to reach them emotionally through counseling. Half the reason I got into my field of psychology is so I can offer free counseling. So often those who need it most are those who can't afford it.
So often we view the homeless as helpless, dirty, deranged people looking for a free handout. When we see them asking for money we consciously make a decision. Do we give money or food? We're worried they'll spend any money we do give them on alcohol or drugs. But don't you think they need more than food and money? What about company? I sometimes wonder how long it's been since these people have had a real conversation with anyone. I often wonder, when was the last time someone simply asked them their name?
We're relational creatures. God created us to want and need love and fellowship. We'd all go a little crazy without it. But what about church? Church should be a sanctuary. The one place any living breathing being can go when the rest of their world turns their back. Unfortunately, dressing up for God has prevented this.
Sunday mornings are a time most Christians put on their Sunday best, as a sign of reverence and love to their Father. It's not wrong, in fact it's almost romantic. But, I'd be willing to bet this makes many poor and homeless people think twice before walking into a church. Prostitutes and beggars probably wouldn't feel very welcomed there.
Paul's advice to the Corinthian church, who faced a similar problem, was to abstain from idol meat. Not because it was a sin to eat it, but because it was causing others to stumble (1 Cor 8:7-13, 11:33-34).
For a while now I've developed a desire to help plant a church. And as my ideas progressed, I decided if I planted a church, I wanted it to be in the heart of some thriving downtown metropolis... somewhere close to the homeless. They are no less deserving of Jesus, a church, and the body.
Pastor Matt beat me to it here in Bloomington. Maybe we're not a thriving metropolis, but the church is located in a great section of town to reach these new and old believers.
Now, on to Matt's sermon Sunday. Here goes.
----
The book of Jonah begins with a call from God to go to Ninevah to share the good news (Jonah 1:1). For context, Ninevah would be about the equivalent of God calling you to walk over to a mosque in Iraq and share the gospel. Jonah, like so many of us, didn't trust that God could bring him through something like that, so he denied God.
Now, we disobey God all the time, but Jonah decided to not only not listen, he chose to run in the complete opposite direction. Ninevah was just barely to the north of Joppa, Jonah took off for Tarshish, which was thousands of miles to the west (1:3).
And that's not enough. Jonah is so beyond despair now that he asks to be thrown overboard. He would rather die than listen to God (1:12).
I love God's response. He doesn't get angry like I probably would and just let Jonah perish. He sends a fish to swallow him and carry him to back (1:17). It's stories like this that make many doubt God, but it just furthers my belief. Anyone writing an account of such a tale would have no reason to make this up. Who would believe them?
I digress. So God calls to Jonah a second time, "Go to Ninevah!" Finally, Jonah submits. He waltzes right into the city and simply says, "In forty days Ninevah will be overthrown." (3:4) That's all we know he said. Not a long, poetic, loving explanation of God, just "You're all so sinful that God's going to wipe you out."
Here's where it gets good (horrible grammar). The whole city turns to God!!! (3:5) And they didn't just turn to him, they believed in him and put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of humility to everyone who could see them. And it doesn't stop there. The KING does this, too. He puts his faith in God and humbles himself before his nation by taking off his royal robes (this never happens) and wears sackcloth. Beyond that, he orders the rest of his kingdom to do the same.
If the story of Jonah isn't a demonstration of the fact that salvation is a result of God's doing, not ours, then I don't know what is.
These people from Ninevah get it! How many of us would turn our life over so quickly? And how many of us trust God can reach the unreachable? That he can use us (even doubting Thomas') to turn entire nations to God with one sentence? How incredible that the people from Ninevah turn to God so quickly, when Jonah had been sharing the good news with the religious in his home town and no one there was changing anything about their lives.
So, the question is, when God calls you, do you run the other direction or do you humble yourself for all to see? Are you living in Ninevah or Israel?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Stop Dating the Church
After months of church shopping, I finally found a church I can call home! Each Sunday morning I've been cascading through Bloomington searching for a new church. And today was that day. It was like stepping onto your future college campus for the first time, when you just KNOW that you're in the right place. As soon as I sat down I had that peaceful feeling in my heart that I had arrived. Through the people I met, the worship, the pastor, and the vision, I knew I was as close to home as I'm going to get here on earth. Before the sermon was over I caught myself already excited to come back next week. Praise God!
I came here planning to share the sermon and spread Pastor Matt's amazing wisdom and heart for his church, The Foot of the Cross, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Because as I've learned over the months, it's hard to find so much joy in finding a good church until you know what a good church is. So here goes:
Some time this winter I became very interested in Church. And not just going to church, I became interested in why we go to church. I love spending my Sunday mornings worshipping and learning, and spending time in my Father's house, but I discovered that even this was founded in selfishness. I liked it because of what it did for me. Yes it's great to praise God and learn about His character, but I never took the time to stop and ask why God created the church. I knew the Sunday school answers. For fellowship, for community, to form a body of believers to come together and worship God together, because it's the Sabbath, etc.
All those things are great and true, but I wanted to know more. I'd been unsatisfied at my home church and spent a good year church shopping when it dawned on me that I wasn't sure Biblically what I was shopping for.
I had so many questions. What is the role of church? What is church doctrine? Church discipline? How are para-churches different from churches? What is God's purpose for the church in our lives and in society? I could go on and on.
So I studied. I sought wise counsel, searched for verses and Bible stories for answers (Paul was very helpful), read some chapters in Systematic Theology, and finally ended my study with one of my new favorite books, "Stop Dating the Church."
Joshua Harris spends this short book explaining the problems with Christians and the church today. Too many people date the church and won't commit to it. Nobody wants to be a member anymore. As soon as something goes wrong; the pastor makes a comment you don't like, the worship leader changes, the Bible study topics aren't good one semester, and everyone leaves. We date churches, we don't commit to them and make them our bride like Christ did.
Joshua doesn't discount the importance of searching for a good home church, but he cautions people against searching for too long, or for being so willing to leave at the first sign of trouble. When it comes to church we're all a bunch of commitment-phobes.
He uses plenty of scripture to back up his points, which I sadly cannot re-iterate here as I've talked the book up so much to my friends that it's lent out and has a waiting list, but I remember one scripture reference that particularly struck me.
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:24-25
The author of Hebrews expresses concern for this church, reminding them to meet together so they can encourage one another, stirring each other up in love.
Joshua argues that many Christians today go to church to be fed. They want teaching for themselves. They want to be convicted. It's not that those are bad things, but if that's our only reason we're going to church, for ourselves, then we're missing the point in why God created the church. If that's what we're looking for, I could listen to a Mark Driscoll sermon each Sunday morning from the safety and comfort of my own home. Or worse, I could listen to it as a podcast while I run and say I went to church for the week. (I'm not saying listening to extra sermons is bad or wrong, I do it as much as I can, I'm simply saying that isn't church)
God didn't send His Son to lay down His life for a Podcast, He experienced torture at the hand of man for His bride, the church, so that we didn't have to be isolated and worship in secret anymore. His sacrifice was so we could meet together, in genuine fellowship and love. So we could come as one body and experience from each other a small glimpse of His heavenly affection for us.
But how many of us go to church selflessly, with the hope and aim of feeding and encouraging those in the seats next to us? I'd argue most of us keep to the people we came with and hardly exchange more than a pleasant smile or maybe a polite name-swap with our neighbors. We don't see the others around us as brothers, sisters, and allies.
Seriously, think of one person you met through your church that you have a relationship with today. You know there name, and you have real, genuine conversations with them. You've either met up with them outside of church, or you've prayed with them. Something. Anything...
I don't know about you, but I struggled to come up with a single name.
Now, fellowship isn't the only reason for church. Joshua explains a few other important aspects of church attendance, that's just the one that hit me. From there, he offers some helpful suggestions for what to look for in a church. He narrowed down the list to three main things to look for, what I call the "holy trinity" of churches. (I hope that wasn't super heretical...). Worship, Teaching, and Community.
Those three things don't have to carry equal weight. They should all be present, but by knowing how we relate to the Lord and how we best connect with Him it is up to us to determine which of these things are the most important to us, and to choose a church accordingly.
Take me for example. I began attending a church in December where I absolutely LOVED the teaching. It was incredible. I walked away each week with pages upon pages of notes, usually armed with new material I could interlace with my weekly Bible study. It was great. The problem was, after a few months, I stopped getting excited for church. I hadn't met a single person there, and could not get over their awkward worship music. I wanted to see past the mediocre singing. I should empathize with them, I'm as tone deaf as they come, but music is too important to my connection with God. I am normally a pretty quiet person who is happy just listening, but when it comes to praising my Father I want to shout at the top of my lungs. I couldn't do that there.
The truth is, in committing to a church like we commit to a real bride or groom. We will never find perfection. That is only in Christ. Churches are built by men's hands and upon man's ideas. Still, there are great Godly men out there pastoring incredibly Christ-centered churches. So find one and commit to it, and not just for yourself. Commit to it also for it's other members. You have gifts to offer them and the church.
Christ loves You so much that He died for you... but not just for you. He died for the person sitting next to you this morning, too.
I came here planning to share the sermon and spread Pastor Matt's amazing wisdom and heart for his church, The Foot of the Cross, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Because as I've learned over the months, it's hard to find so much joy in finding a good church until you know what a good church is. So here goes:
Some time this winter I became very interested in Church. And not just going to church, I became interested in why we go to church. I love spending my Sunday mornings worshipping and learning, and spending time in my Father's house, but I discovered that even this was founded in selfishness. I liked it because of what it did for me. Yes it's great to praise God and learn about His character, but I never took the time to stop and ask why God created the church. I knew the Sunday school answers. For fellowship, for community, to form a body of believers to come together and worship God together, because it's the Sabbath, etc.
All those things are great and true, but I wanted to know more. I'd been unsatisfied at my home church and spent a good year church shopping when it dawned on me that I wasn't sure Biblically what I was shopping for.
I had so many questions. What is the role of church? What is church doctrine? Church discipline? How are para-churches different from churches? What is God's purpose for the church in our lives and in society? I could go on and on.
So I studied. I sought wise counsel, searched for verses and Bible stories for answers (Paul was very helpful), read some chapters in Systematic Theology, and finally ended my study with one of my new favorite books, "Stop Dating the Church."
Joshua Harris spends this short book explaining the problems with Christians and the church today. Too many people date the church and won't commit to it. Nobody wants to be a member anymore. As soon as something goes wrong; the pastor makes a comment you don't like, the worship leader changes, the Bible study topics aren't good one semester, and everyone leaves. We date churches, we don't commit to them and make them our bride like Christ did.
Joshua doesn't discount the importance of searching for a good home church, but he cautions people against searching for too long, or for being so willing to leave at the first sign of trouble. When it comes to church we're all a bunch of commitment-phobes.
He uses plenty of scripture to back up his points, which I sadly cannot re-iterate here as I've talked the book up so much to my friends that it's lent out and has a waiting list, but I remember one scripture reference that particularly struck me.
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:24-25
The author of Hebrews expresses concern for this church, reminding them to meet together so they can encourage one another, stirring each other up in love.
Joshua argues that many Christians today go to church to be fed. They want teaching for themselves. They want to be convicted. It's not that those are bad things, but if that's our only reason we're going to church, for ourselves, then we're missing the point in why God created the church. If that's what we're looking for, I could listen to a Mark Driscoll sermon each Sunday morning from the safety and comfort of my own home. Or worse, I could listen to it as a podcast while I run and say I went to church for the week. (I'm not saying listening to extra sermons is bad or wrong, I do it as much as I can, I'm simply saying that isn't church)
God didn't send His Son to lay down His life for a Podcast, He experienced torture at the hand of man for His bride, the church, so that we didn't have to be isolated and worship in secret anymore. His sacrifice was so we could meet together, in genuine fellowship and love. So we could come as one body and experience from each other a small glimpse of His heavenly affection for us.
But how many of us go to church selflessly, with the hope and aim of feeding and encouraging those in the seats next to us? I'd argue most of us keep to the people we came with and hardly exchange more than a pleasant smile or maybe a polite name-swap with our neighbors. We don't see the others around us as brothers, sisters, and allies.
Seriously, think of one person you met through your church that you have a relationship with today. You know there name, and you have real, genuine conversations with them. You've either met up with them outside of church, or you've prayed with them. Something. Anything...
I don't know about you, but I struggled to come up with a single name.
Now, fellowship isn't the only reason for church. Joshua explains a few other important aspects of church attendance, that's just the one that hit me. From there, he offers some helpful suggestions for what to look for in a church. He narrowed down the list to three main things to look for, what I call the "holy trinity" of churches. (I hope that wasn't super heretical...). Worship, Teaching, and Community.
Those three things don't have to carry equal weight. They should all be present, but by knowing how we relate to the Lord and how we best connect with Him it is up to us to determine which of these things are the most important to us, and to choose a church accordingly.
Take me for example. I began attending a church in December where I absolutely LOVED the teaching. It was incredible. I walked away each week with pages upon pages of notes, usually armed with new material I could interlace with my weekly Bible study. It was great. The problem was, after a few months, I stopped getting excited for church. I hadn't met a single person there, and could not get over their awkward worship music. I wanted to see past the mediocre singing. I should empathize with them, I'm as tone deaf as they come, but music is too important to my connection with God. I am normally a pretty quiet person who is happy just listening, but when it comes to praising my Father I want to shout at the top of my lungs. I couldn't do that there.
The truth is, in committing to a church like we commit to a real bride or groom. We will never find perfection. That is only in Christ. Churches are built by men's hands and upon man's ideas. Still, there are great Godly men out there pastoring incredibly Christ-centered churches. So find one and commit to it, and not just for yourself. Commit to it also for it's other members. You have gifts to offer them and the church.
Christ loves You so much that He died for you... but not just for you. He died for the person sitting next to you this morning, too.
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