Community is “a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually preceded by ‘the’)”. This is a natural and organic experience and, despite the good intentions of the Church, such experiences like this cannot be attached to a program. Church programs tend to cause such natural phenomenon to implode.
Legalism
A tiny peek into the thought processes of my mind…
When it comes to the area of personal Bible reading, I SUCK! No, really, I do. I can pick up a book of science fiction, history, or whatever genre and begin reading with no problem of my mind-wandering off the page. However, when I attempt to read God’s Word on a daily basis, it (not the Bible!) gets misplaced in the many things to be done in the course of the day. And while the displacement itself is bad enough, it’s the Battle which ensues within afterwards that is the most difficult to fight. Here’s a peek:
“Wow, I was doing so well [looking at a chart where individual boxes for Scriptural references are checked off in pencil] for 9 days. Nine days! And now, I’m 3 days behind. What happened? How could I have allowed other things, things which pale in comparison, in my life to crowd out my time in the Word? WHAT KIND of Christian am I to have allowed that to happen? This NEVER happens to [insert your best Christian friend or Christian accountability partner here], or, at least, they never mention this happening! What do THEY have that I don’t? What makes THEM special?! Oh, well, they’re better looking than me, that’s something. Or, maybe God loves them more, yeah, that’s GOTTA be it! Wait, wait, no, God loves every one of His followers equally. Okay, maybe then, their career status allows them to organize their time better to allow their daily Bible reading. That’s GOTTA be it! Man, why can’t that be me?!”
Yeah, I know, it’s the HEART that’s important. But it’s still a regular battle I continue to fight.
Your prayers are appreciated.
Christmas Gift Exchanges
I grew up as an only child
http://twog.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/cs-lewis-on-christmas-and-xmas/
I am listening to Jimmy Jorgensen
“I’m listening to Jimmy Jorgensen’s “Running Up That Hill””
Check-in to Jimmy Jorgensen on GetGlue.com
Gospel-centered Community REVISED POST
After a conversation with a acquaintance-soon-to-be-friend after posting “Gospel-centered Community, Such as It Is”, I have a little better understanding of what the true definition of “Gospel-centered community”: where two or more Christians can walk together in total transparency with each other, iron sharpening iron.
With this new definition in mind, I have revised the following:
I was with some friends the other day and we were discussing the perceived lack of gospel-centered community within our home group outside of our weekly meeting. After about an hour of discussion, we arrived repeatedly at the same conclusion: we all desire to have Gospel-centered community with each other but yet, many of our lifestyles make it difficult to make the time to walk together in that, once we have ALL mutually shared our deepest sin struggles and temptations (we are a multi-generational home group).
To begin: I have SERIOUS trust issues which stem originally from a 12 year nightmarish journey within a religious sect. While there, we also were encouraged to have authentic, transparent “discipling”* times as a body of believers. Unfortunately, that “discipling” was performed in the most abusive form of manipulative work salvation imaginable. Needless to say, while hearing repeatedly how “safe” an environment that home groups possess, I have a knee-jerk trust issue when it comes to transparency, especially in a group setting (I have found that one-on-one conversations are easier to manage).
Here’s my take on the desire to spend time in Gospel-centered community outside of our weekly meeting: I am 47, single (never married), male, and work a non-exempt 40-hour, 7:30-4:30 Monday through Friday work week. As I grew up, I saw that many if not most dating couples had little if any time for “community” with others who weren’t in the same station of life as they. And once they got married, time for others decreased further. Unfortunately, I interpreted that to mean that dating and married couples only had time for their partner or spouse and that just didn’t seem “fair” to me, so I decided that dating and marriage wasn’t for me.
NOW, today, I see the same time restriction. I see couples (dating and married) struggle with the desire to commune with others yet having difficulty making it a reality. Yes, making time for Gospel-centered community is mutually intentional, but … here’s what I have learned and have had to accept: I can either get and remain upset at my friends who are dating or married because they don’t can’t make time for community** OR I can be happy and satisfied with the community I have with those I have it with OR I can become bitter and frustrated. I have chosen the former. It has amazed me how GOD has orchestrated the few friends that I have who have been able to make time for community. Look, the reality is: dating and married couples need to make time for their partners and spouse, and when those marriages produce families, those families need time-investments as well. I don’t believe that they can be held at fault for not feeling able to have the community which they desperately desire. Here’s what I know: I have to be happy and satisfied with what community God has provided me.
*Note: “Discipling” is a term used by the International Churches of Christ, which is today also using the name International Christian Churches.
**Note: I got tired of typing out “Gospel-centered”, so from here on, when I write “community”, it is meant strictly as Gospel-cented community!
Gotta Get Gotten!
As most of you know, I work in Corporate America. Before I “made it”(!), I worked as a “temp” through a temporary agency.
When I look at a project or task, I first ask myself a few questions: How soon does this task need to be done? What resources do I possess or have available to me in order to do the task? How quickly can this task be completed? What are the hardest and easiest parts of the task (I like to tackle the hard parts first, then reward myself by doing the easiest parts [delayed gratification])?
My stepfather raised me with a few parts of his work ethic. First, he always quoted Apostle Paul’s words in Second Thessalonians 3:10 (ESV): “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” I learned that I should use my God-given talents and learned skills to do homework or anything I put my mind to, to the best of my ability.
In the business world (i.e. Corporate America), it seems that things are viewed differently. Using your God-given talents and learned skills are not as appreciated as you would think. While I am not endorsing boasting or congratulatory remarks, I was under the impression that such abilities would be appreciated. I was sorely mistaken.
During my “temp” days, I went through a lot of one-day jobs. I would arrive at a job site, listen carefully to the instructions to do a particular task, then proceed through my pre-work thought process (“How soon does this task need to be done? What resources do I possess or have available to me in order to do the task? How quickly can this task be completed? What are the hardest and easiest parts of the task?”)
Two of my God-given talents and learned skills are quick reading and typing by touch (in my early days, 58 wpm), as well as knowing my way around a computer through short cuts. However, my talents and skills always got me into trouble because I would complete the tasks in almost half the time, which would be followed by my asking for additional work to do. And, I would be sent home since the task was completed. Sadly, this happened on several occasions.
While working on a more manual (and less computer-related) job site as a temp, I had the opportunity to work with a few other temps. As I did, I observed their work ethic (or should I say, LACK of work ethic!). Knowing that they were being paid by the hour, they would work. Very. Slowly. To them, the longer it took to complete a task, the more money they would make.
As I said at the beginning, I work full-time in Corporate America and have done so for the last ten years. Initially, I was tasked to data entry and LOVED IT! I got to work hard and enjoyed Friday nights which required late nights. After 3-4 years, while taking over someone’s responsibility of distributing invoices during their week-long vacation, it was discovered that I was doing a better job (thanks to those talents and skills!), and, long story short, he was fired and I was coerced (!) to replace him. Years later, I was tasked to perform a co-worker’s responsibilities while they were out on sick leave. This particular co-worker is unfamiliar with both MS Word and MS Excel and had been performing their task piecemeal. Through the help of a friend who is more skilled in Excel, I was able to write a simple program which would insert mailing addresses, certain phrases and numerical amounts in certain fields within a letter, then print them en masse, in almost a third of the time!
Sadly, due to the use of my talents and skills and the time efficiency which resulted, my superiors have concluded that I should be able to do more work/tasks. And, while this is true theoretically, it doesn’t allow for mechanical breakdowns (printers) and technical issues (necessitating Information Technology intervention) and numerous testing required afterwards!
So, what lessons should I take away from my work experiences? Should I have taken on the same work ethic as my fellow temporaries and hidden my skills and talents?
I wish more people “got” me. I “gotta get ‘gotten’ “!
I read “Love Wins” and I LIKED it!
(and Trevor Joy freaked out!)
Several months ago, I read Rob Bell’s “Love Wins”, the book which has sent the entire Judeo-Christian theological world into a tizzy. And I LIKED it! Let me explain (and please, someone get Pastor Trevor a glass of water!).
While there were MANY parts of “Love Wins” which I disagreed with, I found that it did accomplish two things for me: 1) it caused me to question WHAT I believe about heaven and hell and; 2) WHY I believe what I believe about heaven and hell.
I am SO thankful for the theological heftiness of both Pastor Matt Chandler and The Village Church who has “made” the gospel about so much more than “entrance” but instead, as “getting God!”!
Soon, I will begin reading what seems to be a responsive book, Francis Chan’s “Erasing Hell”.
Can You Save Me? - Power
[These lyrics haunt me! —jmk2]
When I collapse, will you forget?
When I’m dead and gone, will you regret?
All of the constant, mocking bitter slander
I imposed when you were so upset
When you grabbed your keys, said you were gone
Couldn’t help myself, I passed the gun
Inform my friends and family I lived well
It’s just my choices
They were wrong
They were wrong,
They were wrong,
They were wrong,
They were wrong, wrong, wrong
[Chorus:]
Can you save me?
From this nothing I’ve become
It’s just something that I’ve done
Never meant to cause you worry
Don’t you blame me
For this nothing I’ve become
It’s just something that I’ve done
Never meant to show you my mistakes
When I collapse, break bones, will you forget
All the months we’ve spent on loneliness
Long nights, short days, brief conversations
Lead to nothing more than arguments
I’d fix this if I could
I’d change this… you know I would
It’s been a long time comin’
A long time fakin’
It’s hard to say that you’re misunderstood.
[Chorus:]
Can you save me?
From this nothing I’ve become
It’s just something that I’ve done
Never meant to cause you worry
Don’t you blame me
For this nothing I’ve become
It’s just something that I’ve done
Never meant to show you my mistakes
I don’t know, I don’t know
I don’t know where I am headed
All I can tell is that you’re gone!
All I know,
All I know I’ve become a disappointment
Sorry if I’m always wrong!
All your perspectives stand
I’m not the same creature that I was back then
With a slight touch and an honest glance
I’m never coming back
Never going back there again
Can you save me?
Can you save me?
[Chorus:]
Can you save me?
From this nothing I’ve become
It’s just something that I’ve done
Never meant to cause you worry
Don’t you blame me
For this nothing I’ve become
It’s just something that I’ve done
Never meant to show you my mistakes
