We had a wonderful time at church last night. Instead of having 50 people spread out through a sanctuary that can seat 225, we packed the same 50 people in a cafe that can comfortably seat 20. What a different feel!The soul of Christ Fellowship Church is much more at home in the radical air of secret home meetings than in the comfort of a modern church building with steeples and paved parking lots.
We started in the atmosphere of people who had been thrown out of comfortable denominational settings because of our love for God and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. We met outdoors, in homes, in abandoned buildings deep in the countryside. We were radicals. We were in love with God. We were comrades in the fight for a Christianity that truly meant something.
Last night reminded me of who I am at my best.
A radical.
Where has that guy been? Am I who I think I am, or am I just tired? Who are you?
Tell me, what do you think?
5 comments:
I used to be a lot more radical than I am at this point in my life. Part of that was probably youth, but part of it was probably because I was more fired up about Jesus back then.
When I was so radical, I think being judgmental came along with that for me. I am not there now, but I think I was then. I think I thought I had it all figured out and that I was so much better than the Methodist or Friends church person down the road. I so don't think like that now.
Maybe I lost the "radical" part of my walk with age, or the cares of the world. I don't know. I would like to be radical again and to be more fired up than I am now. I am just not sure how to get there at this point.
I believe that comfort in a setting causes you to lose your "edge". We get comfortable in our walk and we do not push as hard. We get comfortable in a position and we tend to not desire something further. I am not as radical as I want to be and I flat out refuse to be tired. I believe that for me to become more radical i need to really "get" how radical my LORD was. That is the place I need to start.
I think that everyone is talking about being who they were created to be-- the vision (or the over-used term of "purpose") that God had when He made us. While this is rare (or radical), it really seems like it should be more natural and genuine. When I hear the call to be more radical, it leaves me with the picture of action for shock value. Shock is a great way to get someone's attention, but people get bored easy and their attention can be competed for. What would really be rare (radical) would be for people to be who they really are. God has been speaking this to me since the first Sunday that I moved back to Indiana. "Be your TRUE self." The person God envisioned when He built you with a few chromosomes. How often do we try to be something other than that exact person? It should feel like home in our own skin. We need to ask God to purify us from the junk that we have entangled ourselves with and the images that we have tried to conform to and just go back to the real person that God made us to be.
Sorry... I was still thinking. Anyone who lives displaying the fruit of the spirit is rare in itself. A life of compassion, unending love, and peace by itself would be world changing. Obviously we can't live that life on our own... but Christ in me the hope of glory... Jesus using this body for His glory... that is my prayer.
Sunday night church in the cafe was really good. Different b/c we were all so close that you could hear the person next to you saying "thank you Jesus" & "Jesus, I love you" in what seemed so intimate of conversations.
It was really good b/c you could feel the holy ghost move & sway from person to person.
We could all do with some radical...it messes up our stupid mundane lives & is a welcome thought in my book b/c I haven't seen or felt radical in such a long time.
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