Ordinarily Extraordinary » Finding my voice & art through a journey of faith & grace.

South African children, legs confined to wheelchairs, hands and hearts lifted high in worship and praise to their God. This is church.

A priest administering the sacrament. His congregants kneeling in prayer during mass. This is church. 

Steeple shining against blue sky. Pews filled with people, hymnals open, singing cherished songs. This is church.

Rows of chairs filling an auditorium. Hands raised across the room as a band leads in worship. This is church. 

Individuals, most never having met face to face, in front of their computer screens listening and discussing through technology as a pastor shares a message. This is church.

God can meet us in any kind of service. He can reach anyone in any type of service. Whether it is a “high church” service to one that meets in an old furniture store in a strip mall to a group meeting in a home.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been asked a couple of times about the church we attend. I love talking about it and the freedom I have found there, but once they realize it doesn’t look like “church” is “supposed” to look I see this invisible wall appear.

My theory, as uneducated as it might be, is that the enemy wants it this way. He wants people to be afraid of something that looks different than a traditional church service. He wants people so comfortable that they are afraid of change or something that looks different than what they have always been taught.

But if we were to go back to the true traditional, the original church that Christ began & the Holy Spirit settled on with tongues of fire, it never looked like stained glass windows, pews, a steeple and Sunday school.

There is beauty in every type of church service. From the beautiful liturgy and common prayers of Catholic and Episcopal services to the church meeting in a strip mall store front.

The bible tells us “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” yet how often do the expectations we have concerning how church should be done inadvertently condemn and push people away because the person feels that they will never measure up or because that way doesn’t work for them? How many people who are seeking feel that they are not good enough to walk through our doors?

Has our divisiveness about which way is the right way to “have church” paralyzed much of the power God wants to give us to change the world and pushed those who are seeking away?

I am beginning to believe that the enemy is fighting to keep the walls and divisions among believers because then no one is focused on loving the lost or each other or God. I’m just as guilty as anyone. I often catch myself judging another’s way of worship when really there is grace enough for church to look as varied as the people He created.

When it comes down to it it doesn’t matter how we worship or what our church building looks like. What matters is if God can use us. And if we’re too busy condemning each other or condemning those who do not believe in Christ then we are powerless for Him to use us.

And when we’re powerless we’re exactly where the enemy wants us to be.

Today is Valentine’s Day.

And honestly I really could not care any less about all the hoopla surrounding it.

Not because I’m single. I’m happily married. Not because my husband wouldn’t get me anything. He would. He’s asked what I want or if I wanted to go out to dinner, but I don’t want anything. I know he loves me.  He shows me by cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. By taking our son to school so I don’t have to get ready and leave the house on a cold morning. And many other ways.

I don’t need a commercialized day to tell me I am loved.

Maybe my disdain for it goes back to high school and most of college when it served as a very loud reminder that I didn’t have a boyfriend while all the other girls were receiving flowers and gifts from a special someone.

No it’s more than that now.

Girls don’t need to think that the love they really need is a fairy tale. They don’t need love shown by a card and flowers. Yes those are nice, but these things do not show them how much God loves them.

And that’s the love they need to know about when reality sets in and they experience a life that is not a fairy tale.

They need to know that they were fearfully and wonderfully made. They need to know that God knew about every day and every experience they will ever have.

They need to know that His love is far better than the love of any guy they will ever meet.

They need to know that in His own perfect timing He will send that special someone, but that His love is sufficient even when it seems that special someone will never come along.

They need to know they are loved no matter what.

Because when they can rest in and know they are loved by their creator then they become who He created them to be.

Psalm 139
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
and Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for tI am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me, 
When as yet there was not one of them.

 

Better One Handful

I sit listening as Craig Groeschel gives the guest message. My mind soaking in the focus verse.

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6

He speaks on letting go of what does not matter and fighting for what does. Of how chasing after too much and keeping two hands full we are not able to do anything well.

There is wisdom in keeping life simple.

We chase after more stuff, more money, more recognition, more busy-ness. How can we learn He is sufficient amidst the chaos we have created in our chasing?

In simplicity God shows us He is sufficient.

 

In the Quiet

“Cease striving and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

Striving to make ourselves and life better is not a bad thing.  But when the striving  becomes two handfuls instead of one then how can our minds be at peace? How can we know He is God when we are relying on ourselves instead of Him?

 

Juggling vs Serving 

How can we serve others with the love of Christ if both hands are juggling everything we are striving to achieve?  When a friend needs our ear does our overly packed schedule push them away?

 

Too Busy to be Grateful

When our minds are full of chaos we run from one meeting to another activity to another meeting. There isn’t room for our minds to give thanks. We cannot be sincerely grateful unless we slow down and know that He is God.

We cannot give thanks with two hands closed. We cannot clench the gifts He’s given us so tightly or we will lose them.

We can only share the gifts He gives us with a hand stretched open to Him.

 

Are you grasping with two hands full? Or do you know He is sufficient with one open ready to serve and give thanks?

Continuing to count the gifts:

841. For a productive day. (2.7.12)

842. For an amazing twelve year old letting me rub his head before he went to bed. (2.8.12)

843. For energy to get the chores done. (2.9.12)

844. For how Sam lights up when he’s around his friends. (2.10.12)

845. For bowling with Chris while Sam and his friends bowled. (2.10.12)

846. For eight hours of straight sleep. (2.11.12)

847. For birds singing in the trees on a cold morning. (2.11.12)

848. For a winter forecast. (2.11.12) 

Often times when a friend shares a need I find myself catching myself from saying “I’m praying for you.” Over the past two years I have become very aware of words said out of obligation and not true intent.

Of course I want the best for any friend going through a tough situation or even having a bad day, but I don’t want to say I will pray and then forget. I don’t want to be disingenuous when I say those words.

So I find myself not saying them at all.

And if I’m honest I often wonder if they might sound hollow. Because let’s face it. When you’re in the middle of a tough situation those words don’t always bring comfort. They should, but it’s often hard to feel that in the midst of your pain when everything seems shrouded in fog and unclear.

I wonder if the words “I’m praying for you” have become the equivalent in the Christian world to the reply “I’m fine” when asked “how are you?” Do we say them because its the phrase to say or because we do not know what else to say? Have they become the expected phrase to say and in turn are said without sincerity?

I’m not sure. I’m thinking out loud here. I guess I’m just wondering how to be genuine in what I say.

What are your thoughts?