I'm writing to you today in anticipation of fasting from my everyday life for five or six days. Five or six days away from the computer, the office, the church, the church facilities, the satellite TV, and the high-speed Internet connection. Five or six days apart from all of the things that make life "normal" (whatever that is). Not to say that I don't need this time of fasting from the trappings of my everyday life - but I am a little anxious. After all, right or wrong, doesn't what we do define who we are?
Upon further reflection, that's a pretty sick statement - one that is an indictment of where we allow ourselves to be far too often. Of course, what happens when you are at some social event and meet someone for the first time? Not too far along in the dialog, inevitably the 'What is is that you do?' questions comes rolling along. Then you spend time either mentally or verbally comparing your various occupations.
However, don't we do the same thing when it comes to churches? What is it that that comes to the front (after 'How big is your church?') when talking with another about your church? Ah yes - what all is 'going on' over there. The whole 'church envy' discussion comes into being. It's companion on a personal level is, 'So what is God doing in your life?' or 'What is God saying to you these days?' Usually when any of the above questions is asked I'm sorely tempted to respond with "Do you REALLY want to know?"
I find it far more penetrating (and humbling) to ask myself (and the church) not action questions about God but state-of-being questions about God. Stuff like, "So who is God in your life?" or "Where is God in your soul?" or "How does St. Egoistus the Self-Important Church see God?" These are questions about who God is, not what God is doing. The question we face is not what are we doing, but who are we being?
Last week, I quoted Eugene Peterson's 'Eat This Book' in the "Another Voice" section of the MWM. I'm continuing along in the book and was hit square in the face with this observation:
...[I]t was to make us followers of Jesus that this text was given to us in the first place, and if either the larger story or the detailed sentences are ever used for anything else, however admirable or enticing, why bother?
I'm going to challenge you while I am on my fast to allow for God to reveal the Divine presence in you through ways you've never seen before - not by DOING, rather by BEING. Being one who is focused not on what you are doing for God (although that is mightily important) but in who God is within you.
See you Sunday!
Lamar
Upon further reflection, that's a pretty sick statement - one that is an indictment of where we allow ourselves to be far too often. Of course, what happens when you are at some social event and meet someone for the first time? Not too far along in the dialog, inevitably the 'What is is that you do?' questions comes rolling along. Then you spend time either mentally or verbally comparing your various occupations.
However, don't we do the same thing when it comes to churches? What is it that that comes to the front (after 'How big is your church?') when talking with another about your church? Ah yes - what all is 'going on' over there. The whole 'church envy' discussion comes into being. It's companion on a personal level is, 'So what is God doing in your life?' or 'What is God saying to you these days?' Usually when any of the above questions is asked I'm sorely tempted to respond with "Do you REALLY want to know?"
I find it far more penetrating (and humbling) to ask myself (and the church) not action questions about God but state-of-being questions about God. Stuff like, "So who is God in your life?" or "Where is God in your soul?" or "How does St. Egoistus the Self-Important Church see God?" These are questions about who God is, not what God is doing. The question we face is not what are we doing, but who are we being?
Last week, I quoted Eugene Peterson's 'Eat This Book' in the "Another Voice" section of the MWM. I'm continuing along in the book and was hit square in the face with this observation:
...[I]t was to make us followers of Jesus that this text was given to us in the first place, and if either the larger story or the detailed sentences are ever used for anything else, however admirable or enticing, why bother?
I'm going to challenge you while I am on my fast to allow for God to reveal the Divine presence in you through ways you've never seen before - not by DOING, rather by BEING. Being one who is focused not on what you are doing for God (although that is mightily important) but in who God is within you.
See you Sunday!
Lamar
