The Purpose of a Church Family...

The purpose of family is to extend the family...when families get turned in on themselves, when they get into themselves, focusing too much on themselves, unhealthy things begin to happen. Bad habits form. Unsavory personality traits appear. Unusual thoughts start to be expressed. A strange psychosis takes over. Sometimes church families get this way. They get waaay too into themselves. For instance,

Churches can spend a lot of time TALKING about Jesus. Let me be clear, family conversation is good. One of the greatest joys during the Clark family reunions are the amount of TALK TIME we have. Some of the best moments we have around here, in our church, involve a lot of TALK. But this blessing may also become our curse. We TALK about Jesus and what he wants. We TALK about what is kosher and what is not. We TALK, We TALK and We TALK. But, like natural families, sometimes church families constantly talk but have trouble moving from talk to action. Jesus calls us to “hear his words and to put them into practice.”

Church families can be so into themselves that they struggle to hear or see people around them. These churches are known for their closeness, they are kind and loving to each other, but there are people around churches whose spirituality doesn’t quite match the family definition. There are valuable people who are quiet and often orbit around the edges of the family circle. They wouldn’t be noticed unless you are looking for them.

Church families may have rules and regulations about family protocol that actually inhibit folks from enjoying the life-giving blessing of family. Keep the family walls high and intact. Though a family may say they are welcoming and want others to join them, in order to fully gain membership in the family, you have to do this, follow that, and don’t get caught acting that way. Family holiness and family reputation can be a powerful, life-denying thing.

Could it be that people’s obsession for church family can become so in trenched that they actually become inhibitors to the very change that God is working towards? The purpose of family is to extend the family. But some times “Family” can get in the way of “being” and offering the gift of family to the world.

Hear what I am saying. Jesus loves family. He is not against family. He honors supernatural and natural family units. But his purpose for the family is to extend the family. God wants his spiritual family to be the resource for His kingdom endeavors.

God On A Leash

“…no longer will we focus our faith on rules about God.”

Religion has a tendency to focus on rules about God. Religion's nerve center is on keeping one unstained. It's designed to keep one on the right side of things.

“Don't associate with those gamblers and prostitutes! Instead you need to be over here where there are nice people who go to church every Sunday and give their money to church and to each other.”

“Don't associate with those people over there who are living the wrong way sexually, where there are people suffering and dying from sexual diseases. Instead you need to be on this side of the fence where people are spiritually clean and morally straight.”

“Don't associate with those people who cheat and steal. Instead you need to be on this side of the tracks where everybody acts nice.”

But Jesus' action is different. Jesus is the one who touches and holds lepers! Jesus is the one who parties with those cheating tax collectors and stealing sinners! Jesus is the one who lets the woman that the church fathers thought was a prostitute stroke and anoint him at a dinner party in a lepers house!

This is the kind of stuff that happens when God breaks loose in our lives. Maybe some of us just need to admit it. We don't really want this kind of God on the loose. We don't want an untamed God on the loose in our world. We certainly don't want him loose in our church were we want everything a certain way. What we really want is a domesticated God… a religion that focuses more on rules about God.

It's okay for him to be holy as long as he is humble. We're okay with the power God has and the reign he represents, but we want that power domesticated--we want it working for us. We want God on a leash. Our lease!

The Rest We All Need

Focusing on Rule or Living in the Rest of God?

This world of ours is littered with people who need rest. There are people who see themselves as worthless because they have some kind of mark on them...either self-inflicted or a label slapped on them by someone else. There are other folks who feel that they do not measure up to God’s standards, no matter how hard they try...and they are trying really hard. There are people with struggles, and confusion, and they are tired of living quiet lives of desperation. There are people who are worn out because they have tried to live their life by their own power and might. They need rest.

The good news is that Jesus comes to rescue us all from this absurdity. Come to me, Jesus says, all who are weary, burdened, and I will give you rest. Follow me. Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.

In no turning back and in living the God-surrendered life, we say this: No longer will we focus our faith on rules about God. We will rest in God. We all know that things can fall apart in our life. This world has it’s fair share of trouble and sadness. We can get knocked off balance. When we break down, we often look for someone to settle the disarray. Where is the doctor? Do we have an attorney? Go see the preacher. Call the plumber. The phone line is dead. The electricity is out. My life is in shambles, God, are you listening? (Thanks, Jeff, for this thought).

It is in these moments of shaken equilibrium when we do not need a rule about God. WE NEED GOD and WE NEED HIS REST! And the good news is that, in Jesus, God extends his hand.

God Ripping Open Heaven

Mark 1:9-13
"And it happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. Immediately coming up from the water he saw the heavens being RIPPED OPEN and the spirit like a dove coming down on him, settling in him. And there was a voice from the heavens, “You are my only son. In you I took delight. Immediately the spirit drove him out to the desert and he was in the desert forty days being tested by Satan. And he was among wild animals, and the angels were serving him."

You see, when the heavens are ripped open and God gets turned loose and the Spirit descends on us, like it did on Jesus, God pushes us out of our comfort zones and send us into some unsettling places. The Spirit sent Jesus to the wilderness. God turns loose on us and turns us loose and sends us out on a mission for his Kingdom. He sends us out with this wonderful gift to be offered to our world. When God gets a hold of us, “God drives us to where he wants to go, to what God wants to do and not always to where we want to go and what we’d rather do.” (to quote Brian Blount)

When God gets loose inside of you, you start to do things that turn the world upside down and inside out! There is no turning back. As followers of Jesus, may we recognize that God is loose in our life and remember that God is loose in our church. May we be courageous enough to join with God who is loose in our world.
May we have the courage to run loose in the world, to be like Steve Martin, wild and crazy, because God has gotten a hold of us and he’s not turning loose and neither are we. There is no turning back. What a gift He’s ripped open for us.

We're back!!

Hey, Paul and I are back in the saddle again (I can hear this old Aerosmith song...) and raring to get back into this blogging stuff. Although the summer has been busy, it has also been fruitful.

Let's see, I just finished harvesting the last of my watermelon, cantaloupe, and sweet red peppers. These are reminders to me how good God is. Mind you, I wasn't really thinking about God's goodness when I was slaving in the garden back in May. The black flies and mosquitoes were ruthless. My new garden was filled with boulders and other junk. I worked real hard. I worked real hard not knowing if it would really pay off. Let me tell you though, right now… it paid off!

Ah...Life is good!

Returning Soon

Look for us to return soon. Scot has a major paper due in a few weeks and I am putting the final touches on ElderLink Northeast. We both have said that it is time get the blog back up and going. Check back after September 15 for updates. I hope you have enjoyed your summer. We've enjoyed ours.