Can We (Should We) Come?

The iMonk has a thought-provoking post up today. Read it, please. I'll wait.

Thanks.

Now - I'm pretty comfortable in church these days. I should be, it's my workplace. But I'm always going to be comfortable in church and in church community - except when stuff happens that excludes or hurts people. And it does happen - all too often.

I think it all has to do with our expectations and forcing others to accept those expectations as rules of conduct rather than seeking community and grace as we learn about each other. What I mean is if I have a certain expectation of what kind of behavior is acceptable, or what king of person is acceptable in our worship services and in our community then I set up barriers that hurt and separate.

The examples the iMonk talks about in his post are probably pretty familiar ones - or at least they have been referenced in pop culture enough that most of us recognize them. What can be ironic is when those same unfair prejudices get turned inward. I know of a pastor's wife who has young children. She keeps them in the service because the church they serve doesn't have a nursery and also because no one complains - even if the kids can be a bit noisy and disruptive sometimes. But this summer a supposed "christian" couple who visited the church chastised her for how her children "spoiled" their worship experience.

How hard must we (I) work to shed this "welcoming for some, but not for all" characterization of the Christian church? How much will it take for us to reach out across these barriers to those who are curious, or searching or feeling rejected? A lot more than this little blog I'm guessing - but it's a start.

The truth is that everyone who is seriously dealing with spiritual issues and their relationship with God will come under the feeling of conviction about their lifestyle and personal choices. I don't need to add to that burden. Note - it's not inappropriate guilt I'm talking about here, it's about those moments when each of us truly realize we are wrong on some attitude or behavior. That is always going to be part of seeking truth and finding it. God is truth - and sometimes the truth hurts. But in that process, no one needs the added stress of being scrutinized and judged unfairly.

The Christian church has a poor track record in this area I admit. But not every church has this problem. Indeed, most churches have members with much more humility, grace and care than you might guess. Surprise! Some of us have been listening and contemplating how Jesus treats people. And it's rubbing off.

Christmas is one of those times when lots of folks will go to a church when normally they wouldn't. The Nativity story is compelling, or maybe it's just that your niece is in the church play. Whatever the reason, you should come. And maybe you should give the place - and more importantly the people there - a chance to show what love can do.

I find it funny that God invented the "taste test". And I find it very humbling that he lets me be one of the folks manning the free samples booth.

This year, if you try one of our "free samples" why not come back for more. They're all free samples.

Of course you can and should come. It would be our honor to be with you, share with you and serve you.

Shalom

Last Post (Probably) for 2008 - Advent & Christmastide

The Holiday season is washing over everyone I know with tsunami-like vengeance, and in the midst of the most unsettled days of my brief life since the days of Cuban Missile Crisis, it is hard to get one's bearings, let alone maintain them.

Recent events in our extended family have intersected our plans and created new ones. I won't have enough time to even post at my usually infrequent "whenever I get around to it" rate. Thankfully, according to my Sat Counter widget, I am remaining fairly true to my mission and tagline (writing for an audience of one, reaching even fewer) so I am confident that I am not disappointing a large number of my fellow pilgrims. Still, I know there are a few of you out there so this message is for you.

This season is supposedly tied in some comically and warped human way to one of the greatest events in human history and the "greatest story ever told". Sadly, but not surprisingly, we have warped and marred the meaning of this event almost beyond recognition. Almost.

We are in the season of Advent right now as recognized by followers of Christ since around the 5th or 6th century, perhaps as a balance to the growing observance of Christmas - which was a converted pagan festival - that also began around those times. Regardless of either celebration's genesis, we have what we have today, but we also have choice too.

I hope you will choose to slow down and take time to cultivate holy anticipation this Advent season - anticipation being a lost and even scorned practice in our culture of instant gratification. I even saw an ad recently for a product that purports to help make the sex act happen faster, for those who don't have time to savor the moment, I guess. Things really are getting weird out there. Anyway, I will pray that you can wait in anticipation for what God is and will be doing. And then, may you enter Christmastide (all 12 days of it) with joy, vigor and wonder. Again, having a 12-day feast to celebrate requires a bit of pacing and self-control as opposed to a one-day, all-out, over-indulgent, food-and-football-fueled Bacchanalia. Besides, what good is a celebration that you have to recover from? You'd have to recover from hitting yourself in the head with a hammer, and that would be cheaper than the usual Christmas blowout we usually get sucked into.

Now before you think we're not going to give and receive presents this year, or eat, or celebrate - let me say that I suspect that our events will look much like they do every year, but we are working to change the spirit and intention of these proceedings an ways that we pray will flow out into new appreciations and possibilities in our lives. Here's one example:

Being nearly 50 means that there really isn't anything much out there I need anymore (except increasingly excellent health care coverage). So two years ago my family bought some gifts for me from World Vision. And they did again last year. I don't know if they will again this year, but we have already agreed to use half of the "love gift" we get from the church I serve to buy what we can from World Vision. We have been gifted for years. Time to give back. Gift-giving is a GOOD part of this season if we work to keep God's perspective in view.

We will be spending some time with distant family and for reasons one might not think are worthy of celebrating, but we are committed to celebrating with them while we are together. Often at this time of year circumstances conflict with peoples Dickensian fantasies of what should be happening, but we are praying we will be able to truly "give thanks in all circumstances". God doesn't stop being gracious and abounding in love just because human sin and its consequences intersect our plans.

We are going to celebrate Christmastide. I'm not just certain how, but we will and we will include as many others as we can. Why not stretch the season, even in little ways? As many have observed, "it's a shame we act like this only one day a year".

To you few who read these ramblings from time to time, I send our heartfelt greetings of love, peace and joy in the name of Christ Jesus. Whether or not our beliefs agree, we cannot deny that we stand on the same earth and walk under the same sky and share the same ultimate human fate. You are our brothers and sisters and we pray for you, even if we don't know you well.

May the Lord Bless you and Keep you.
May He make His Face shine upon you.
May He lift up His Countenance upon you
and give you His Everlasting Peace.

Shalom