Since my little rant yesterday that was kind of stream of conscience, I've been thinking about it.
One clarification. I'm speaking to myself here BTW... (And to anyone reading that I might be confusing) (I should just write in a stinking journal!)
I don't care what my community thinks about a lot of things that I used to think were important but no longer do. And things that I can't control. The end-all/be-all isn't whether or not my church goes out of business tomorrow. It's just a building and a bunch of statements, and some traditions. I do care about the people within it, how we love one another. How people can know and see God from that. I do care. 99.99999999% of people have it wrong anyway. Why do we get so worked up about that? What they think? I don't understand.
When God opens up doors for real, meaningful relationship that His Spirit is working in, then all our fleshly wrong stuff starts to get worked through... That is what we should care about... Those kind of relationships, and everything else will work itself out.
5 comments:
As for the question of whether your community would notice if you were gone - I think that really speaks to what kind of impact we're having on our community - not so much if they think we're cool or not. Would they miss us if we were gone? Hopefully so.
"Miss us", and "care what they think about us", are two statements that can be translated many different ways I suppose. In different contexts they can mean a lot of things.
Potato, potatoe.....
Let's call the whole thing off.
I totally get your point that we get into trouble by striving soo much to be relevant (sp?) - good thoughts.
On the other hand, we sometimes don't do much to help "the cause" by cloistering ourselves in our little "christian" communities, speaking our "christian" language, promoting "christian" books & music. We have "christian" car-washes for our "christian" cars and sell "christian" brownies to those who will partake. (Do I sound a little peaved here?)
I really don't think the community "misses" that kind of behavior from our churches so much. Good riddance is what they would probably say.
What they do miss (cause it's absent more than it is present) is a loving community who welcomes them in, recieves them lovingly - even in their sin, and not only shows them the way out, but helps them out as well. That kind of community would be missed.
Was that closer to the kind of point you are making? I know I'm just ranting....
In other words - they wouldn't "care" - just clarifying my own point...... sorry....
Yeah I think they would miss that.
I guess I get caught up in "who" the community is.
Like I mentioned, when authentic, meaningful relationship happens, God moves and all the other fluffy stuff kind of works itself out.
The optimist in me, believes we have something to offer our community in the form of the good news of Jesus Christ and His Fathers love for the lost. I think it transends the "christian" carwash and so forth...
Being a church that offers that is our aim, or at least my hope. The key is reaching them with that while not bogged down with the rest.
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