Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Maybe I'm Just Thinking Out Loud About Church

I was sitting in church the other day wondering why I've never felt like I fit in. This discontent sneaks up on me. I probably shouldn't feel it in the prescence of other believers, but I do. Like I'm all itchy and uncomfortable. It reminds me of how I have a tendency to feel with my in-laws. Like people are trying to consider me family, and they have good intentions, but it's sort of forced.

I like the whole "small group movement" in church these days because it's an opportunity to get real. But then again, I'm not too good at attempting those either because I feel like I'm expected to get close to people I maybe naturally wouldn't have gotten close to. Maybe I'm just a brat.

Here's what I think would be a really cool church:
Maybe there wouldn't even be a building. The "Church" would be people. And the people would come together naturally because of what they believe and a divine connection they feel to one another. Like how I feel with my dearest friends. So I guess it would be them. And we'd all live in the same neighborhood. We would be together like the disciples were because we're just so crazy about figuring out what God is really saying about a whole lot of things. We wouldn't neccasarily have to do church meetings on Sundays because it would just be happening naturally any day of the week. Praying over a meal could turn into "praise and worship,"because we'd get all fired up praying about all the things God is doing in our lives. We would share the truth of who we really are on a regular basis without fear because we would love each other too much to judge. We would share in every day conversation what God is teaching us as we seek Him. So I guess those conversations would be the sermons. We would be left refreshed and inspired by talking regularly about the goodness of God and the gifts He has given us to fulfill an amazing purpose that only we hold. Last but not least, all would be welcome and we'd keep the potlucks. There's nothing like a good potluck.

2 comments:

Sabrina said...

hmmm.... sounds like a lot like a certain book of the BIBLE... maybe ACTS? :)
When did church become so forced and routine? The church is the body and as the body we should be living our lives in such a way that nothing is forced, and it gathering doesnt just happen once a week.

Amy said...

I really think that what you're describing is what the church is supposed to be. I believe that church is people, and the calling of the church is to "live together" (however you want to define that) in community, loving each other in a way that draws others to Christ. We are called to be so different from the mainstream in the way that we care for each other that the people on the outside are irresistibly drawn to us. Most of that kind of caring doesn't happen in a church building, and it doesn't happen during church services. It happens in every day life, day to day experiences.

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