another post

I know I haven’t commented on many of your blogs for a while. I just want to say that I am excited as I look around and see what Christ is doing through the Church. Through you that is.

I read today in “The Emerging Church” about how the US is the fifth largest ‘mission field’ globally and if all the ‘unchurched’ people in the US were gathered together as their own nation they would be the fifth largest nation in the world. WOW!! I cried reading this today. I got emotional when reading about Hudson Taylor. (cant’ believe I’ve never heard of him) It got me right at the heart. I realized I have this heart for you the Church and for the world at large and that my focus has been off. I have neglected my relationship with Christ. I want and do “dream missionary dreams.” I “must bleed missionary blood.” I “must pray missionary prayers.”

My wife and I have chosen to be prisoners of His. We have chosen to be held captive by him and to live our lives on mission. But we still do the things we do not want to do and don’t do the things we want to. He is perfect at this. We suck at it!! I pray that this young family, in serving Christ the Head, you the Church and the communities around us, would stand firm and stay focused. I pray we do not neglect our relationship with Him nor our relationship with you. Doing so would be neglecting our relationship with Him, I believe.

....I don’t really know what else to say at the moment. I love you all.

We are here in Indy to learn and to serve. To laugh and to cry with you. To work and to play. To tell stories and to listen to yours. Other than that we have know idea what we are doing. Our story is an open book.

And I say again....I am excited about what Christ is doing through the Church. Day to day it doesn’t look all that exciting. Not big and flashy that is.

This Sunday we will be driving to the home of a family we haven’t even met to do Church with other people we haven’t met. Honestly it scares me. Having grown up in the Church I know that I can walk in to FBC Anywhereville and I can hide in the corner. I can disappear in the crowd. I know from experience that I can go though a long period of going to that place and never be challenged much. I know my sins can go unnoticed for a long time. I know I can make it in and out with a smile and a wave for fellowship and never have to face my anxiety about meeting new people and opening up my life to them.

Sunday I know there will be no place to hide. There will probably be no crowd. In all probability I will set on a couch next to someone or across a kitchen table from someone and my anxiety about opening up and conversing with new people will have to be faced-by me. I know that discipleship happens in this setting. I know that discipleship means growth and I know that growth means being vulnerable and it means pain before gain quite often.

It’s the little things. The stories. The kids. The praying for each other. The sharing. The dishes. The plumbing. The tears. The food. It’s Christ being in the midst of all that that makes it so exciting. It’s going to be real. Not pretty. Just real.

I’m excited!!

Bless you all

And Peace