Community

I've just started reading a book by Francis Chan called "Letters to the Church" in which he talks about his own grappling with what the Christian church should be versus what it is today.  Having started a church that grew into a "Megachurch" he's now working to set up smaller churches in a network called "We Are Church." So far the book is pretty neat as he tries to get back to what the church was originally intended to be. He also touches on how in some ways some of our churches have lost their focus and maybe need to get back to basics.

I've been very fortunate to be the part of some very cool churches.  They were all places where I felt loved, encouraged and part of a community. During our time in Overland Park, Kansas we were members of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Having moved from Texas and not knowing anyone it was wonderful to get to know people there, many of whom are still lifelong friends. Similarly during our 18 months living in Perth, Australia, we were part of Subiaco Church where we joined an awesome small group that helped us grow spiritually and still today we are good friends with several people there halfway around the world!  And now here in Pearland, Texas we joined Lifepointe Fellowship just a couple of years ago and quickly got to know several awesome people who obviously love God and the people that visit there.

In my previous blog I mentioned that we are relational beings. I think we're missing this in our Western culture where many of us go to work, then go home and watch TV, or - increasingly - surf the internet on our smart devices for hours on end.  We never really connect with others except in superficial ways and it can be lonely doing life on your own.  When they function well, such as the ones I've experienced, churches have a strong sense of community. You can be part of an extended family that helps you with spiritual matters and the day-to-day stuff of life.  You can belong.

Back to Francis Chan's book and he emphasizes that God's plan to bring us together is sacred.  Beyond us simply going to a venue to experience something, or to do our duty, the idea of the church is to be Jesus's body.  His people (not the building) become His temple and somehow we connect with Him and with one another in a truly marvelous and mysterious way. I'm intrigued to read more of what he has to say (maybe a review in a future blog!!).

So, if you want to belong to a loving community, connected to one-another and connected to God, then that's another good reason to believe.

Relationships Restored

Number 5 in my "Reasons to Believe" is a tough one for me to articulate. I'm not a pastor nor a sociologist: I'm an engineer!  So talking about relationship type stuff is not my natural bent.  But, that said, the older I get, the more I realize that relationships - family, friends, coworkers - are way more important than work, titles, acclaim and almost anything else this life has to offer.

God is relational and the restoration of our broken relationship with Him is at the heart of the Christian message. Perhaps the most famous parable that Jesus told on the topic was the story of the prodigal son.  Here's my take on it with a modern twist...

Prodigal Daughter
A story inspired by Luke 15

A young woman couldn’t wait to leave home and see the world. Just days after her high school graduation, she packed up her few belongings into the car her parents had bought for her just the year before and headed off across the country to a new life, new experiences and freedom. At first things were great. She worked hard and partied harder. Boyfriends came and went; friendships too. Then came an economic downturn. She lost her job and with it the ability to pay rent. She found herself sleeping on the couches of friends when they’d let her, or in her car when they didn’t. She found part time work here and there, but nothing permanent.

One morning after a restless night trying to sleep in her car she thought “What am I doing here? Back home I had a room and food. I had friends, family and parents that loved me. I should go home and maybe Mom and Dad would let me stay with them for a while, just until I get back on my feet.”

She scraped together enough gas money to drive back home, wondering all the way what she would say to her parents. They’d had such hopes for her and here she was, a failure and big disappointment to everyone. They might not even let her through the door and she wouldn’t blame them. She’d hardly spoken to them in months and when she had she always pretended everything was fine. How could she tell them the truth? She was ashamed. Still, they loved her, right? She hoped. She drove.

As she pulled around the corner of her parent’s road, her mother happened to be in the driveway, about to get into her car.  She thought she recognized her daughter’s car approaching, but what would she be doing here? The mother’s puzzled look seemed like a scowl to her daughter as she drew closer, but as soon as she realized it was indeed her daughter, she immediately ran to meet her. The daughter could barely shut off the car and get out of her seat before her mom pulled her into her arms, crying and laughing.  Just behind her, the daughter’s father had stepped out of the house to see what was going on.  He too ran over to his daughter and threw his arms around both of them.  “Mom. Dad. Can I stay here a while, just until I get back on my feet?” she asked.

“Stay as long as you need to my love,” her Dad replied. “Welcome home. This will always be your home.”

God loves us. He loves me. He loves you. He longs to restore our relationship with Him.  That's why Jesus came to the earth: to live and die and rise again from the dead, so that we could have a relationship restored.