Not looking, but...

Not looking (at the moment, anyway) but found some good articles on what to look for in a church: one by Kenny Silva "How to Find a Church: Seven Things to Look for in a Good Church (Acts 2:42–47)"
"Exercise some discernment in evaluating whether that is a faithful community in which you would like to be a member.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. — Acts 2:42–47"

This helps me, when I find myself becoming frustrated with lack of commitment from the other church 'members' - because, actually, they may not be 'members' but 'attenders'. Different.

"The local church should be a place that loves and serves the community regardless of whether they profess Christianity or not.

That said, when we talk about a believing membership in the local church, we’re not talking about the people who attend that specific church or are served by its ministries. The people we’re talking about are the covenant members of that church. These are the people who have sacrificially, emotionally, financially, and spiritually “bought in” to that church and what it’s doing for the kingdom."

Wise advice, worth coming back to.

When obedience becomes a God-sized dream...

Holley Gerth has been blogging about God-sized dreams this year.  Today, Cara Sexton is contributing. These words have opened my eyes:
"I can never see to the end of a God-sized dream. There are big, fat “how?” holes lining the path and unlike my Technicolor substitute, I cannot self-construct a roadmap or define the ultimate purpose. While I may envision a pit stop on the road, I will never know the whole impact, the complete story of the dream’s fulfillment, as it is a life’s work and gracefully, I am not the only the author of this story. God dreams move by Spirit, one shaky footstep at a time into landscapes we have never imagined.

The faithful journey of following a holy dream often requires actual miracles, but even more, the faith to ask for them, to expect them while you work hand-in-hand with intimate mystery.

God dreams are always outside of our own abilities, outside of our understanding and comprehension."

Somehow, I'd thought that God-sized dreams were my own dreams which would be impossible to achieve unless God worked a miracle. But perhaps God-sized dreams are also God-inspired dreams. God's dreams. Not mine.

This seems, on a human, selfish level, if I am to be honest, quite disappointing. 'What about MY dreams?' screams my heart. 'What about MY longings, needs, wants?' As I struggle with serving in a small, traditional, so-not-how-I-want-to-worship church, my sense of frustration mounts.

Perhaps I am looking at this the wrong way round?  Psalm 37:3-4 says "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."



Perhaps my 'dream' is not a personal, selfish one but 'God-inspired'. And, if so, I know the dream is the call he gave me to this desert place, where my heart and spirit seem to shrink, I see nothing before me but a grey fog and I serve out of obedience. I serve.

I need to remember this:
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."  – Ephesians 3:30 (MSG)

So, when I am feeling tired, and weary, and old at this game for nothing much seems to have changed for years... I remember: Psalm 71:
"In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.
They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue him.”
Do not be far from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help me."
I remember. I put myself in the right place: a servant of God. I repent of my selfishness and I choose to praise.

As Brenton Brown sings:
I will remember you, always remember you,
I will remember you and all you've done for me (x 2)
I will not forget all your benefits

even when the storms surround my soul
how you comfort me, heal all my diseases
how you lift me up on eagles wings
I will remember you always remember you
I will remember you and all you've done for
me (x 2)
I will not forget all your benefits
how you've chosen and adopted me
Orphaned by my sin grace has let me in
and never once have you abandoned me
I will remember you always remember you
I will remember you and all you've done for me
I have tasted and I've seen how you Father faithfully,
how you shepherd those who fear Your name
When the shadows start to fall and my heart begins to fail
I will lift my eyes to you again (and)

Brian Maclaren on the subject of children

I was given the book Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed Cross the Road? by Brian Maclaren for Christmas.  Thought provoking reading.  So far, the main gem I have come away with - which makes SO much sense on many levels, not just spiritual - is that we gain our sense of identity in part by our reaction to and rejection of the 'other'.  It chimes with a psychology thesis I wrote  at College many many years ago.  So I was fascinated to read an interview with him in Children's Work magazine here.
 

Hazardous discipleship. Risky obedience.

I don't consider myself as living dangerously. A comfortable Western life style, where the only danger in my life is whether my bicycle might come into contact with a car during the few miles of my daily (slow) commute.

So I didn't consider that even my faith might be hazardous until I read Lisa's link up post in response to Ed's new book.

Leaving her church was hazardous. Wow! Me too!

I didn't, perhaps foolishly, consider the hazards and dangers when my husband and I responded to a call to leave our (very comfortable) church home to go to help out at a tiny, traditional, Anglican church.

I am shocked to discover that it has already been three years since we did so. Even though two years ago I blogged about our struggles there, and last year had even more encouragement, this 'new' church life still seems hazardous...

I know that 'going' to church is to meet together with others to praise and worship God, and to encourage each other, as it says in Hebrews 10:25 Yet I find that, even setting my mind and heart to worship God, the music does not encourage me to do so. I can't sing very well, so struggling to sing ancient hymns with a handful of people who hear every wrong note is an ordeal. After the service ends, the majority of the congregation escape quickly from the (thousand year old) building. A few stay for coffee, and they are the 'church' we are trying to build into.

It doesn't feel particularly risky - not in an adrenaline-fuelled fear type of way. The danger is more insidious.

I risk losing my joy in worship, so much so that now, though initially I listened to modern worship songs at home, I struggle to regain my joy.

I risk losing my joy in fellowship. Interactions with others at church - many of whom seem to be more interested in the church fabric and infrastructure than in living lives as disciples of Christ - can be draining.

I'm teetering on the brink.

So this idea of 'hazardous faith' has had the effect of alarming me, opening my eyes to the dangers. I hover on the edge, gazing into a pit of Apathy and Discouragement.

Adrenaline kicks in. I open my eyes, ears and heart to worship. I look at nature, I listen to worship music, I read the Bible more, I follow Christian blogs. I gain joy from good, God-centred conversations over coffee - at church and at other times too.

So I echo the Psalmist:

But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Lord, do not delay.

Living the Life. Hazardously.

I shared My Hazardous Faith Story as part of a synchroblog connected with the release of Ed Cyzewski and Derek Cooper’s new bookHazardous: Committing to the Cost of Following Jesus.
Read others' insight into costly discipleship at In a Mirror Dimly here.

Women's Ministry!

I have always craved women's ministry that is beyond the women bit. Ministry that connects me, through others, to Jesus and His fellowship. So I was thrilled to read this article from Sarah Bessey about just this...and the comments afterwards are priceless. She also wrote a follow-up article here: much to reflect on. One of her key points is that she'd like to see "churches stop with all of the programs and be a bit more simple and small by intention. Let relationships develop organically. Be open to new people. And love well."

I agree with her... but the advantage of programs is that they do give folk a safe structure within which to develop relationships, especially for us reserved Brits...

My daughter Cat now goes to a church in New Zealand (where she is working for Christians Against Poverty) which DOES NOT HAVE SMALL GROUPS!  Excuse me? How can a vibrant church meet the needs of members without small groups? With something which is, possibly better...SERVING GROUPS.  In a nutshell, it works like this: new members go through an introductory program and are then, based on their gifts and calling, allocated to a serving group - whether this is hospitality, worship, welcome...etc etc - which then becomes their 'small  group'.  

Programs and people...finding the balance within women's ministry and without...

On Ephesians 5...and love...and submission...

Verse 21 in Ephesians 5 begins the whole piece of advice on marriage with the encouragement of 'submitting to one another'. If we only did that, then we would indeed have unity in and among our churches. A simple idea - perhaps too simple - but how many disputes would be solved if we had the humility to do this?
We need to remember that Christ gave himself up for us, His church.  The Message says: Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. 
We can talk endlessly on how this applies to marriage, as Whitney does in this wonderful post; and with it comes the temptation to have the attitude of 'I would submit if he did this first...' but of course wives are told to submit first, regardless of what the husband does.  
The Contemporary English Version says: 'In the same way, a husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself. A husband who loves his wife shows that he loves himself.'  That is often the problem in a marriage - for both men and women: we don't truly love ourselves and so it is hard for us to truly love anyone else.
Yet we are enabled to love ourselves by loving others first. My daughter Cat quote Mother Teresa this week: ‎"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." 

For all of us, married or single, widowed or divorced, it is good to reflect on how much Jesus loves, nourishes and cherishes His people, the church.. 
'Christ's love makes the church whole.'  

It is my prayer that I may be enabled to truly love my husband: putting his needs before mine, loving him even better than I do myself - and if I have to do it by submitting, help me do that!!!

Linked to...

The Church – as explained through Ephesians 2 (and some of 3!)

Church isn't just about turning up to a building on a Sunday, singing some songs, saying a few prayers, listening to a talk and then going home, forgetting all about 'church' until the next week.

Church is about meeting with people. Yes, after the church service over coffee.  No coffee served? Go to a coffee shop together, invite folk home for a cup of tea...but church isn't JUST a social time. Being 'church', doing 'church'...it's spiritual, intentional.
Church is about getting to know people, more than just briefly after the service. Because you can't. So church means meeting others at other times than Sundays.  Church isn't JUST a catch-up on the news - and definitely NOT gossip. 'Church' goes deeper than what lies on the surface of our lives.
Church is about getting to know people well, more than as just brief acquaintances. It is about understanding others, appreciating their lives, listening. It is about intimacy, accountability. We have found the best way to do this is to talk about Jesus. What he said, what he did, how he lived, what his friends said about him.  So we study the Bible together. We find out what it means. We wonder how we can apply it to our lives. We talk with each other upon the way, as the two disciples did on the road to Emmaus. And many other dusty Palestinian roads as well.  Church is about spending time. Giving time. Helping one another. Encouraging.

Here’s a thought: do we pay lip service to this idea of church? Do we really ‘get’ what it is all about? Do we know who – and WHERE – we are?

Some thoughts from Louie Giglio in a talk entitled ‘I AM CHURCH’. He says that we are part of the reflection of Jesus to the world. If we really GET Ephesians 2:1, then we will know that we WERE DEAD because of SIN – HELPLESS to do anything about it because dead people simply can’t do anything – they’re dead!  But, because God loves us, he made us ALIVE (Ephesians 2:4-5): not better, not improved, but ALIVE. And so we came out of the grave to become NEW people (2 Corinthians 5:17) and we are now joined with him IN THE CHURCH (Ephesians 2:11), fellow citizens, members of God’s household (Ephesians 2:19).  This is the Gospel – making us part of the household of God – and is the HEART of the Church with Jesus as the HEAD. We just make up the rest of the body!

Consider the images of church: a body; a family; a household; a city; a country; a building

The Message says (Ephesians 2:19-20): That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation.

Now at home, in church, as church.

How do you feel about your church family?  Does it feel like family?

The fellowship of the saints...

And it strikes me that our unity - our oneness, our sense of community, our belonging as family - rests ON the heritage of Peter and James and John and Paul...held together by Jesus.

This is different from the world.

Again, do we know who – and WHERE – we are?

In worldly life, we find our place in a hierarchy of others. The leaders - the best, the cleverest, the richest, the most successful - are at the top. yet Jesus is not some remote Lord and Master, some distant boss whose business we aspire to work for or are employed by  but are unsure how long we will be employed. He is the CORNERSTONE: "... the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure."

Yet we are being built TOGETHER, joined together, working together to form the church with Jesus holding us TOGETHER.

An upside-down pyramid which cannot totter and fall because of JESUS!

Does this feeling cut across the denominations?  Are there barriers? How can barriers be crossed, or, better, removed? Thinking of Ephesians 2:1, how can we ‘get it’ (the Gospel) better.

Whitney (Good MorningGirls) talks about this: I'm quoting her here:

" “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

² SURELY you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

³ that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.”

Ephesians 3:1-3

If it seems like Paul has repeated himself a few times in your reading this week, it’s because he has.  Imprisonment couldn’t even waiver him! I love the almost interruption of his speech in these verses.  Was it because he felt the need to repeat himself again?  As if to say, “Wait, I want to make sure you get this… SURELY you have heard.  I’ve already said it, but this is good stuff.  Remember this!”

It would be easy for Paul to get caught up in the political incorrectness of his message.  What he has stated about the Jews and the Gentiles becoming one  in Christ caused HUGE ruffles and controversy.  I would have even understood if he was worried about his image, or if he had a little pity party for himself because the whole thing landed him in prison.  Yet he continues to keep his passion focused.  He knows the ONE whom he is talking about, and he can’t resist sharing the Good News with anyone who will listen.

I wonder how much more we could accomplish for the Gospel if we focused on just that: the Gospel.  I fear that we often channel our energies into so many different things that we lose sight of the real ministry that God has called us to from the very beginning.    We are bent on doing things:

Perfectly.

Our own way.

Committed to all kinds of projects, organized ministries and lots of good things, but allowing division in the body and our own agendas to get in the way of why Jesus came in the first place.

Just think of how effective we could be for the Gospel if we were more passionate about the person – JESUS – than we were about the “project”. 

Do you need to answer His call to return to your first love?

He is waiting patiently.  Strip the unnecessary away.  There is JOY in His presence. "


Thank you, Whitney! Let us be passionate about Jesus and passionate for His Church.

What Ephesians says about the church

Ephesians 2 has got me thinking about the church again. I've often thought about what it ISN'T - but Ephesians has reminded me what it IS.

Louis Giglio has a brilliant talk on this.  And here is a post from Good Morning Girls on how we are to be unified in Christ - in the church: 

The truth is that where it counts, we are actually all the same. Before we were saved we were no different than the guy on death row.  We all had hearts overflowing with sin and deserving of death, and yet we were all lovingly rescued by the Prince of Peace. We now have the same Father, the same acceptance, the same Holy Spirit and the same eternal inheritance. God does not love one of His children more than another and no matter how annoying we can sometimes be He does not play favorites. In Gal. 3:28 Paul says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Our common salvation should lead us to stop some things and start others.

Because we are one in Christ we must:

1. STOP SHOWING FAVORITISM (JAMES 2:1-13)

Since God does not play favorites, neither should we. Sure there will be some people we click with more than others, but we should truly love one another, extending the same kindness, courtesy and generosity as we would to our dearest friend. We must do this for even our differences are overshadowed by our spiritual unity in Jesus.

2. STOP BEING JUDGMENTAL

If we were to take the time to get to know people who we think are not like us we would begin to realize that we actually have a lot in common. We all struggle with common sins, fears, and temptations (1 Cor. 10:13).  More importantly, we share a common Lord and love for Him. This should move us to stop harsh, unrighteous judgement especially in trivial matters.

3. STOP THINKING YOU ARE BETTER (PHIL 2:3, 4)

We are called to lay our lives down for others. To think of them as better than ourselves. This is impossible if we don’t see how similar we all are. Our sameness kills pride and produces humility. No one is good at everything. In the areas where we excel another might struggle and where we struggle some one else excels. We need to be cheering each other on to godliness. Wherever you excel, serve others. Where others excel, let them serve you.

But we can’t just stop some things without also starting other things. Let me offer three brief words.

1. CHANGE YOUR THINKING

Our theology is the starting point. Keep in mind 1) everyone is created in the image of God and therefore has value, 2)everyone is a sinner in need of a Savior, and 3) in the Kingdom we are all adopted into one family.

2. REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT

Invite people into your life who are not a part of your “group.” This is what God has done for us in Christ, and He calls us to do the same.

3. BE A GOOD FRIEND

Being a part of a family doesn’t always mean happy, smiley faces and sugar sweet words. We must also hold each other accountable. We need to speak truth into each others lives in order to help build each other up in godliness (Prov. 27:6). Of course for this to work we need to be willing to receive correction ourselves. This is what friendship looks like. We are fighting the same enemy and serving the same King together.

Our commonality should lead to unity. Our diversity should serve the body and our Savior is what makes us special. In all of this we find comfort because in the end we are all the same.

I can't put it any better than that.

The Building and the Cornerstone

Ephesians 2:19 - 20, according to the Message:
That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation.

This is the fellowship of the saints...
It strikes me that our unity - our oneness, our sense of community, our belonging as family - rests ON the heritage of Peter and James and John and Paul...held together by Jesus.
This is different from the world.
In worldly life, we find our place in a hierarchy of others. The leaders - the best, the cleverest, the richest, the most successful - are at the top. Yet Jesus is not some remote Lord and Master, some distant boss whose business we aspire to work for or are employed by but are unsure how long we will be employed. He is the CORNERSTONE: "... the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure."
We are being built TOGETHER, joined together, working together to form the church with Jesus holding us TOGETHER.
An upside-down pyramid which cannot totter and fall because of JESUS!

Sharing a moment...

Something happened recently which I recorded in my journal but didn't think I'd blog about. But Connie over at Faith Barista asked us to share a thought arising from our 'whitespace' (times alone with God). It's quite a long story, but worth recording.
Firstly, my 'whitespace' is often in a church service. I attend a traditional Anglican church: this was God's choice, not my natural comfort zone! My husband and I left our lively evangelical church to help support the vicar with a tiny, elderly congregation, finding it quite challenging. Happiest in a non-denominational, charismatic service, I often find the formal Anglican liturgy...well, less than inspiring. Yet it is often at these 'drier' moments that I have 'God thoughts' which I jot down in a tiny journal I carry with me.  Occasionally, I attend services and events at another church and my 'whitespace' moments may happen in the middle of a lively worship session. They also happen in quieter prayer moments or when I am listening to the Bible reading. They happen most often in church though during a sermon or talk, when God 'speaks' to me quite directly through the words spoken.
That happened to me a week or two ago.
A visiting pastor, who I know slightly, related a story where he had been greatly encouraged. Jon had been adopted as a baby by older parents and was very much loved. His mother died a few years ago and then his father more recently. He talked about how lonely and abandoned he had been feeling since his fathers' death a few months' previously - despite having a loving wife and three beautiful daughters!
One day, Jon had to go home at lunchtime to meet some workmen. Instead of driving home directly, he found himself travelling by a roundabout route and, in the process, came across a visitor struggling with the map. The man was thin, quite bedraggled, almost scruffily dressed, and Portuguese: he spoke almost no English at all. However, he spoke a little French, which Jon is fluent in and so Jon was able to understand where the man wanted to go: to a hotel very near Jon's house. So he offered him a lift.
As soon as they started driving off in Jon's open-top car, the man - 'Pedro' - started pulling all kinds of papers out of a bag he was carrying, which almost started flying away. As Jon negotiated the narrow, winding lanes of our little island of Guernsey, he tried to encourage the man to put them away and managed to arrive at the hotel without losing anything. Arriving, the man motioned for Jon to drive round the back of the hotel into the car park, which made Jon think that perhaps the man had been there before and was maybe returning for a job interview, as our island has quite a few Portuguese people working in the hotel industry.  The man got out, thanking Jon for the lift and had begun to walk off when Jon noticed a crumpled Guernsey £1 note lying on the passenger seat. He picked it up and called to 'Pedro' that he had forgotten it, whereupon Pedro motioned for Jon to keep it, shouting "Pour l'essence!" ('For the fuel'), so Jon put it in his pocket, thanked him and drove off.
Some time later, as Jon was leaving his house, he remembered the note and pulled it out. Inside, folded up into a small rectangle of a few square centimeters, was a piece of paper. On it was written, in French, words to the effect that 'you are my adopted son, you are not alone, I am with you...'
As Jon said this, he looked over at me while he read the words on the paper and I felt tears. I knew God was speaking to me.
Now, I am not adopted but I have been feeling quite alone and burdened in my church situation. I just knew this was a word from God for me, that I did not need to feel alone or discouraged. I thought there might be added confirmation during a prayer time at the end but, as the story had taken a long time to tell, there was just a brief prayer and a closing song.
It didn't matter. I knew God had spoken to me through Jon.
Yet, a few minutes after the end, Jon came over.
"I have a word for you," he said.
"I know!" was my reply. "I saw you look over at me while you were speaking."
He looked a little puzzled, but continued, "I don't know if this makes any sense, but I felt God say this to you: 'Angie —don't fear I am with you. You are not alone. I will not leave you. God hears your cry - his strength is made perfect in weakness. You are supporting someone, which is draining you, but you will not run dry. He will supply a supporting friend - so you can be supported and continue to support too.'
I couldn't stop smiling. God had spoken to me in my 'whitespace' and confirmed it through Jon. I knew I was not alone.
PS the end of Jon's story was that he then rushed back to the hotel, to find no trace of 'Pedro'. He asked us: "Do you think 'Pedro' might possibly have been an angel?"
Hmmm.....

Church

I'm sure I've mentioned before about struggling, sometimes, to experience real praise and worship in church. Sometimes, I've determined to go with a correct attitude, regardless of how I feel. Sometimes, I've come away feeling even more disassociated - it's almost as if the choice of hymns and prayers have been chosen to alienate me even further!
Yet, as Lisa notes in her post 'When Church Leaves You Dry'. it IS all about our attitude. About finding Jesus in the 'whitespace' outside of the Sunday morning gathering.
It's about listening to the words in spite of the tune, listening to the spirit in spite of the words, listening to hearts in spite of prejudices...finding crumbs of community over coffee afterwards, seeking to give...  a reminder to rejoice in the 'small things', in the white spaces that 'surround the gathering'.

Church and discipleship again!

Wow.
This is what Jim Putnam (page 23, Real Life Discipleship, published by NavPress) says: A worship service (show) can supplement the discipleship process, but it cannot create disciples alone. Discipleship demands intentionality and relationship — by which each person is invested in specifically. This cannot happen in the worship service.

For worship service, read: attending church.

YES!

Church - and discipleship

I have just recently joined Discipleship Network. Margie Williamson has begun the blog with comments about Matthew 28:18-20. She challenged me to think – to REALLY think – about what it means to be a disciple.

She says: “The disciple lived with or near his teacher and spent all his time with the teacher, even when the teacher traveled.”

After Richard and I joined a small church with the aim of supporting the pastor, we soon realised that we needed to spend as much time as we could with the folk who go there – in home groups as well as after the services. The challenge of discipleship in our modern, individualistic society is being able to find – and fit in – enough opportunities to be with the ‘disciples’ in a Jesus context: not just socializing, but intentionally turning hearts and minds towards God.

There are other – like-minded – friends we enjoy spending time with. We intentionally disciple each other, building one another up and encouraging each other ‘in the faith’. I guess the first disciples just wanted to hang out with Jesus: our challenge is to motivate those in the church we attend to do the same.

So, now: is that discipleship – or evangelism?

Hmmm....

Church is a journey...

Journey. A common Christian concept. Jesus journeyed throughout Galilee and Judea - even Samaria. Christians have been going on pilgrimage ever since. Life is a journey.

Church, too, is a journey: of discovery, exploration, adventure. Longing. Living out our faith is a personal journey, yet best done in the company of others. In church, as Church, we journey together.

Yet church in itself is a journey, as we discover and explore life in Christ together. We marvel at the scenery - at dedicated octogenarians who glow with a lifetime of obedience; at love lived out in families; at the joy of children. We climb the hills of discord and resentment, pass through gorges of misunderstanding, rest in the valleys of rejoicing. We arrive - for a while - in the plains and meadows of peace and harmony, as we experience real connection with each other.

So what's the point of going to church on a Sunday?  Many reasons, but if that is all we do, then we are still at the bus stop and have barely begun our pilgrimage. Meeting on a Sunday does, however, give us starting points. It is where a song, a word or a prayer speaks to our hearts, ready to continue a conversation throughout the week. It is where we can meet with like-minded souls who can encourage us to walk further, stronger, better, more nimbly, with greater cheerfulness...It is a place - like a bus terminus - where we can arrange to journey on - together.

Journeys.

Church - the ongoing saga...

The debate in my head about ‘church’ just refuses to go away. Many a conversation worms its way around to pulling at the knot in my thinking. I follow one thread, only to cause others to tangle and tighten further. I never was much good at knitting…

So here is the latest. I long to ‘go’ to ‘church’ to praise and worship God…BUT, if the music isn’t lively or feet-tappingly good, I don’t feel I am worshipping. I don’t even WANT to worship. So, going to a church where traditional hymns are sung, or where an organ belts out a hymn, that means I am going under sufferance rather than to worship.

How wrong is that? Very.  A friend has just sent me an article about praise and worship. I don't know where it's from, but I'm going to quote from it. Lavishly.

There cannot be true worship without praise, praise produces worship. Praise means to speak well of God, praise is to acknowledge what God has done. Praise invokes God's presence. It gets God's attention, it creates an atmosphere. Praise is to the new Testament what sacrifices, and offering was to the Old Testament, praise is sacrifice. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people, so when God's people praise Him, He draws near and worship results. God has given each of us a praise ministry with a worship "team" that is never any farther away than an inch below our noise: our lips, mouth, and tongue...

...When we praise God, His presence comes near, and in His presence all His true glory can be released.  Praise is something we can do anytime, anywhere. As we learn to exercise our personal praise ministry, we can create "islands of Eden" around us wherever we go. There is an inseparable link between our praise and the manifest presence of God...Praise attracts the presence of God. True praise is an exercise, a discipline that flows from a pure heart and a humble spirit. When we brag about God we are acknowledging His sovereignty and Lordship as well as our own dependence on Him. That spirit of humility is just what God is looking for in us. If we approach God with a humble spirit He will do two things: When we come near God, He will come near to us; and when we humble ourselves before Him, He will lift us up....

worship results when God accepts our praise and manifests His presence to us....Worship: Comes from the word; (Worth) which means, the quality or value of something. So what is of most worth to you?

Worship is the ultimate intimate experience....You know you have been in true worship when you started worshiping with a heavy load, lot's of hurt, heart ache and pain; and then when your finish. You've left that behind on the altar because you get up, light and worry free. Better yet God took it away from you because He was (worth) more to you than your problems and pain and you said to your self no matter what I'm going to press my way into His presence!

Worship is an outward experience of an inward change.

The purpose of worship is to bring us closer to the Lord, to change us, make us like Him, and to get to know the Lord.

The place of worship is created in praise, Judah means praise....

What happens when you are in worship?

1. Things change.

2. You get instructions.

3. You get direction.

4. You get revelation.

Worship Is What God Releases When You Praise Him

Praise is both a precursor to and a part of worship, but the two are not the same. For praise is something we do, while worship is something God releases. We initiate praise; it comes from within our hearts. As we perfect or mature our praise, as we come into one accord with one another, and as our spirit aligns with God's Spirit, He releases His presence into our midst. That mingling of God's presence with our praise is called worship.

Worship, then, begins with us as we lift up our praise, but it ends with God as He releases His presence among us. True worship requires both. ...

To "worship in spirit and truth" has the idea of mingling with God spirit to Spirit with our hearts attuned to His heart and our thoughts attuned to His thoughts. In fact, the Greek word for "worship," literally means to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand; to prostrate oneself in homage. Worship then means to show honor, worth-ship, and obeisance to royalty. It is also a word suggestive of intimate contact, of being in the very presence of someone of great importance, and of a companion who is always at his master's side. Worship involves intimacy; in-to-me-see; see-in-to-me.

True Praise and Worship Requires A Pure Heart

Worship takes place when God dwells in our praise and begins to mingle with us. In a sense, we get close enough to God to kiss Him. Ultimately, worship depends not on us, but on God. God wants nothing more than to mingle with us in unbroken and unhindered fellowship, but it is not automatic. He requires that we desire Him and seek Him with all our heart, but He also promises that when we do that, we will find Him. "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

This is why pure-hearted, wholehearted praise is so important as I spoke of before. Because without praise there is no presence, and without presence there is no worship. Tragically, this is exactly what happens week after week after week in thousands of churches all over the world. Many churches have not experienced genuine worship in years. They follow the same format every week, sing the same hymns or praise and worship songs the same way all the time, hear the same kinds of powerless prayers and the same insipid sermons every week, and the spirit is as dead as a doornail because their heart is no longer in it. Sad to say that this is true not only in many "mainline" churches, but in many evangelical and Pentecostal/charismatic churches as well.

God doesn't want it to be this way. He wants to bless us with His presence. The critical issue is the condition of our heart. If we seek God with a humble, hungry, and whole heart, lifting up sincere, heartfelt praise, He will respond by drawing us into His presence. In this way, we can recreate "Eden" through praise.

This whole matter of praise and worship also relates to exposing our hidden glory. When we praise God, He sends His presence, and His presence releases the glory. When we live in "Eden" our glory will come out. That's the way God designed things from the beginning. What this means is that worship involves much more than just praise of our lips. It also involves the meditations of our heart and the work that we do. Our worship consists not only of acknowledging God's nature, attributes, and character with our praise and thanksgiving, but also in our work, our good deeds, our service, and our lifestyle.  

When we live and walk in "Eden," everything we say, think, and do becomes an act of worship.

Everything. Even - especially - going 'to' church.

Church: what Max Lucado thinks about it...

Church. Everywhere I turn, it seems that something else about church crops up. This is the latest article which dropped into my inbox, courtesy of a subscription entitled Up Words With Max Lucado. This is what he says:

Open Your Door, Open Your Heart
by Max Lucado
Long before the church had pulpits and baptisteries, she had kitchens and dinner tables. "The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts" (Acts 2:46 NCV). "Every day in the Temple and in people's homes they continued teaching the people and telling the Good News—that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 5:42 NCV).
Even a casual reading of the New Testament unveils the house as the primary tool of the church. "To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer . . . and to the church in your house" (Philem. vv. 1-2). "Greet Priscilla and Aquila . . . the church that is in their house" (Rom. 16:3, 5). "Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house" (Col. 4:15).
It's no wonder that the elders were to be "given to hospitality" (1 Tim. 3:2 KJV). The primary gathering place of the church was the home. Consider the genius of God's plan. The first generation of Christians was a tinderbox of contrasting cultures and backgrounds. At least fifteen different nationalities heard Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Jews stood next to Gentiles. Men worshipped with women. Slaves and masters alike sought after Christ. Can people of such varied backgrounds and cultures get along with each other?
We wonder the same thing today. Can Hispanics live in peace with Anglos? Can Democrats find common ground with Republicans? Can a Christian family carry on a civil friendship with the Muslim couple down the street? Can divergent people get along?
The early church did—without the aid of sanctuaries, church buildings, clergy, or seminaries. They did so through the clearest of messages (the Cross) and the simplest of tools (the home).
Not everyone can serve in a foreign land, lead a relief effort, or volunteer at the downtown soup kitchen. But who can't be hospitable? Do you have a front door? A table? Chairs? Bread and meat for sandwiches? Congratulations! You just qualified to serve in the most ancient of ministries: hospitality. You can join the ranks of people such as . . .
Abraham. He fed, not just angels, but the Lord of angels (Gen. 18).
Rahab, the harlot. She received and protected the spies. Thanks to her kindness, her kindred survived, and her name is remembered (Josh. 6:22-23; Matt. 1:5).
Martha and Mary. They opened their home for Jesus. He, in turn, opened the grave of Lazarus for them (John 11:1-45; Luke 10:38-42).
Zacchaeus. He welcomed Jesus to his table. And Jesus left salvation as a thank-you gift (Luke 19:1-10).
And what about the greatest example of all—the "certain man" of Matthew 26:18? On the day before his death, Jesus told his followers, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover with my followers at your house'" (NCV).
How would you have liked to be the one who opened his home for Jesus? You can be. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt. 25:40 NIV). As you welcome strangers to your table, you are welcoming God himself.
Something holy happens around a dinner table that will never happen in a sanctuary. In a church auditorium you see the backs of heads. Around the table you see the expressions on faces. In the auditorium one person speaks; around the table everyone has a voice. Church services are on the clock. Around the table there is time to talk.
Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It's no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message: "You matter to me and to God." You may think you are saying, "Come over for a visit." But what your guest hears is, "I'm worth the effort."
Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:9-10 NLT)
Heavenly Father, you have given me so much—every breath I take is a gift from your hand. Even so, I confess that sometimes my own hand remains tightly closed when I encounter the needs of others. Please open both my hand and my heart that I might learn to delight in taking advantage of the daily opportunities for hospitality that you present to me. Help me remember, Lord, that when I show your love in tangible ways to "the least of these," I am ministering directly to you. As you help me open my heart and hand, O Lord, I ask that you also prompt me to open my door to those who need a taste of your love and bounty. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

From Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2010) Max Lucado