A Jewish God-fearer in a room full of Christians: what does church look like?
I had been reading Journey Inward, Journey Outward, by Elizabeth O’Connor, in which she so eloquently told the story of Church of the Savior, and explored what it means to be the Church. What a wonderful way to give new life to the evangelical church! Finding those within the congregation that have the love and vision of a missionary for the local community. Helping them develop their gifts, the very things they love to do, helping them become the unique self that they were created to be, helping them become the Good News! Then to set up a team of people around them to work together at bringing that vision to its fullness! Being about the business of calling out the depths of others, and teaching those around us to do the same. This would completely revitalize and reform the evangelical and traditional church. This would put the focus on being the Church, as opposed to “going to church.”
Yes, the task and reason for being of the Church. To know and be known, and in so doing, to get at with each other what it is that God is calling us to do — we FIT somewhere at ALL times, and it’s a pretty important matter to find that. It’s a big advanatge to even being on the journey toward it; but it only encourages that the next step be taken. Journey Inward, Journey Outward bears witness to that balance and that mutual nourishment that the inwards gives to the outer, and the life together of the outer, back to the innner.
One would think that if I speak of it in such a way, I’ve surely been having it happen; but it’s only the glimpses that I remember. But I know that in the kind of Church that COS has built, they’ve really got something authentic, radical, and faithful. And it won’t let me go.
I don’t know where I’m supposed to find that if there aren’t others who want to be committed to it.
Nadine and I have found it difficult to find other devoted to this. I’ve come across many people who love the idea, but the vast majority of them are highly preoccupied with trivial life. Stephen Covey’s, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, really helped me to not become preoccupied with life, even when work becomes a stressful thing. I’ve found thet resting in doing meaningless things just to relax is in fact not restful at all. We pray that more people will catch the vision and build a community that is mission oriented, focused both inward and outward, and not on the trivial.
We are joining the Missionary church, mcusa.org, and expect that it will be an awesome help in growing our vision. We met with the Director of US Ministries the other night, and were not gun-shy of a large organization like theirs for the first time in years. Though we are largely non-traditional, and there are still some politics involved, their traditional nature is usrpassed by their desir for God’s Kingdom, and their politics are merely formailites not focus. We’re excited.