July 11, 2012
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Church
"If you want a good sermon, you can listen or watch a online cast.
If you want to worship, you can listen to a cd.
If you want community, you have to go to church."
I had a great lunch with a friend from college today. We dont hang much, but I wanted to show him appreciation for putting the 4th of July bbq together and cooking for us and everything. We had some great conversation on our group of friends from college, church life, and work.
All great things take work. But your words of the things you want and the things you really want are put to the test by our actions and what we commit our time to.
The best part about a true Christian community is that you have brothers and sisters that speak into your life and the areas you can grow. The hard part about a true Christian community is that you have brothers and sisters that speak into your life and the areas you can grow. Even with love, its hard to hear the words poured forth into the gray areas you have kept private from the rest of the world. Your perfect fb lives full of pictures of delicious food and amazing trips coupled with statuses on joy and climbing corporate ladders are all but washed away leaving a barren soul striving for more love from Him.
It doesnt get easier, we just get better.
We want to be known, but not the level where it hurts. Where we are so close to one another that one soul hurts the other hurts in sympathy, in empathy --- no, in union, with one another. Our college fellowship class will always hold a special place in my heart. The 25 of us have gone through heart break with each other, alcohol, legalism, marriages, and maybe even one day divorces. Through all this, I know that if I needed them, truly needed them, for something serious one day they would all be there for me. We are all in different places now, and I need to put my time into another community.
"Maybe we all dont want that from a church right now, that is why its been so hard to plug into another community."
Comments (11)
i used to do that with a group of people but now, we've all gone our separate ways. i'm currently looking for it again with a group of people that are going thru the same thing as me and i can talk to.
Even amongst church goers, it's difficult to find true community because true community requires a lot of time and energy.
"We want to be known, but not the level where it hurts. Where we are so close to one another that one soul hurts the other hurts in sympathy, in empathy --- no, in union, with one another."
i actually do want this. Its the way I see church opperating in the fulness it was meant to. Right now, church is a painful thought. Lots of hurt and people seeking titles rather than relationship and genuine love for on another. I feel that i'm called to actually bring change in thier area for the 'Bride' of Christ to truely come into unity with transparency and commitment to each other... One Accord.
Its often painful to be transparent, but this aunthenticity is what our generation needs, what we have always disliked about christianity - the masks, the 'happy' faces.
Sorry i rambled a big.
@xXrEMmUsXx - I understand you. I want that too, but its a lot of work. And by my actions and the actions of some of my brothers and sisters around me. We want it but we dont really want it.
I love your calling. Thanks for reading
@eciila - Yes it does. You have to really want it and know that we are called to it.
@eciila - i can see this, how it takes time. We are so busy building our own kingdoms, who has time to truely build community... authentic relationships - trust? Oh the vision I have. i hope change comes and the busyness of God's people stops robbing us of 'the church' as it is called to be. i fear, however, its going to get worse before it gets better.
@Manbeast - Good stuff, stired a lot of thought and passionate memories of good things... of my deep desires to know people, to be known by people. I'll keep reading =]
@xXrEMmUsXx - i dont blog about my faith much these days, but i will add more tinges of it since it makes us a huge part of me.
@Manbeast - I used to be consumed by my faith, to the point of not being able to see where other people come from. Since I've felt a huge urgency to understand people, thier perspectives etc, I have laid off a lot of my 'religious' liingo to draw more insight from everyone. This way no on is forced to take a side. My faith is my center, but when it comes to people, and them knowiing and understanding me... I think that is obvious wether or not I actually say it.
I am so sorry, I don't knw why i have so much to say all of a sudden!
@xXrEMmUsXx - The biggest form of flattery on xanga is when someone goes through your older posts to leave comments. I more than appreciate the dialogue and feedback.
I can resonate with you. I have grown much in my Faith and have become worldly in the sense that I see and love people for where they are at. My current struggle is to see that love and redirect them to the main Source.
@Manbeast - my day was boring, then I came across your blog. looking forward to reading more!
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