Week 7: Loving The Church

Mar 03, 2008 03:10 AM
Culturally, I often felt, and sometimes still feel, like a misfit around other christians. Unity can be really hard to come by when you feel like the square peg in a round hole.
However, whenever I am around someone who really 'gets' the gospel and lives in its power, I feel like I am home where I belong.

Mar 05, 2008 04:51 PM
The Summer Jubilee Rally last July at Word of Life was a pretty incredible experience for me. The sense of unity and oneness was tangible... you could taste it. I know some are turned off by big groups like that, but all those believers from 8 different denominations and churches, and all that energy focused on togetherness... Even though it was an impersonal event that wasn't heavy on relationships, it was a really special feeling... It helped that i knew the pastors and have been growing in my love and respect for them.

It was a moment like the kind Paul talks about where a person would walk in and without knowing anyone would say, "God is really among you!" (I Cor 14) I don't think a regular worship service packs that kind of wallop because there was just so much more diversity than a normal church meeting. Maybe there's a mathematical formula for that... the greater the diversity of skin color and age and style and creed, gathered in unity under one Name, the greater the power unleashed.

Mar 06, 2008 06:59 PM
Do you suppose the one difference between the normal church meeting and this diverse community event could have been that much prayer had gone up specifically for the event and the Holy Spirit was sent in abundance?

Here's what I am thinking:

Do we pray for our church and those that will visit on a regular basis? I mean on the same level as we do when we have a special event? It's in the bulletin, posters, announcements, etc. at church to inspire us to pray for those attending.

I admit that I do not pray for these things consistently. Am I a minority in that?
Would we see a positive change in the togetherness Jesus mentioned if we made this type of prayer a prioirty as believers?

Also, would we see a positive change if we follow our inspiration to "group" together more, make the move to share more of our day to day lives?

Maybe we feel like we don't fit because we just don't know each other enough to be comfortable and just be "ourselves?"

Mar 07, 2008 07:02 AM
Hi Tracy,
I suspect you are not a minority by any means. I know that my own prayers are most often about whatever happens to be on my fretful mind at the time. I admit that I should be far more organized in what I pray about. My prayer journal is full of false starts, three days in a row, and then a week later another two days and then blank pages for a month, and then another three days - ugghhh!

I think you hit the nail on the head for this discussion however - prayer is, I suspect, one of the most unifying practices for disciples. Perhaps that is precisely why it is one of the more difficult ones...

Mar 07, 2008 06:09 PM
Thanks for the reply Shea...

What is about the best things are the hardest?? I don't get it, we know with our hearts, minds and souls that prayer is the answer, yet it is not made to be a priority in all things...

Is it maybe our human desire for instant gratification? Like the natural medicine approach. It takes longer and more personal effort, but is easier on the bod and has great results; yet most of us choose to pop the pill and get it over with no matter that the "pill" could give us cancer, or cause us to commit suicide!

We are truly undeserved of God's grace, that I know... I am daily thankful for Him : )