Last night Russ and I had our weekly meeting. We get together with young adults once a week and talk about God and our relationship with him and others. I always find myself challenged at the end of the night. We sing and we share and we pray and we learn. I love it because I feel a part of a community. What I don't love is coming to grips with my areas of weakness and sin. I like to pretend I am okay and I am more than willing to pretend others are okay if that is what they want. I want so much for these gatherings to utterly change me and my life, and at the same time the unavoidable discomfort of change worries me a little. I see church changing. Worship and expectations and focus and delivery. C.S. Lewis writes about maturing in faith and practice is accepting that there are better ways to do certain things, just because that is the way we have always done it doesn't mean that is the only way. The balancing insight he adds is that we also must not assume that just because something has not lasted the test of time or popularity means is was/is not worth our while.
I am part of a new generation of faith and the church. I am excited that change is in the air, but I am hesitant to embrace it because change for the sake of personality and preference is not part of the big C church's goal. Change for the sake of Jesus is. What cracks me up is to imagine my mom and dad forty years ago... hippy hair and bell-bottom pants throwing the peace sign and dreaming of the day when CHURCH was not about suits and ties or hymns but about Jesus and needy people. The world seems to be in utter chaos, and yet there is nothing new under the sun. I would love to hear your thoughts on this, ladies. Please share.
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2 comments:
I'm so feeling this. I mean, I never thought I would go to a church where I watch a pastor in another city on a huge screen every Sunday. But I do, and I love it! I feel that everyone is aching for community(facebook; tv church), but we don't know how to get there. However, doing what you guys are doing provides community, but it also provides sincere honest moments with our own spiritual weaknesses, which makes everyone uncomfortable. I think that is the point I have to force myself to remember: God is more concerned about my character than He is my comfort. Yet, I still go to a tv church. I know I need to be challenged and encouraged; I need community, sincerity, and honesty. I also need to feel a part of something bigger and significant. Is that my pride or is it God's calling? I think I've just started a new conversation.
P.S. I miss you, Jamie! You were in my dream last night. Thinking of you!
Ahhh Friend! Thank you so much! You know, Russ and I recently started going to a church w/ simulcast preacher. We have a community, but we are aching for one that is for people in our stage of life. We have a home church but we don't always feel like we fit in. The consumerism mindset seems to be invading all areas of life. Instead of asking how can I give it is often, WHAT ABOUT ME? The balance between meeting our real spiritual needs versus our monstrous spiritual egos is a tight rope walk of patience that I don't have. I need community, too! What role does the pride of self-worth play in community? Oswald Chambers says if we wait around until we our motives are pure than we will be waiting our whole lives. I MISS YOU SOPHIE!
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