Anyway, onto the book.
First of all, I want to mention how deeply appreciative I am that this book is written by a guy who, for all intents and purposes, imploded around him and FAILED. Why are we so afraid of failure? Whoops, let me personalize it--why am I afraid of failure? Honestly, I don't have much of an answer. The fact of the matter is that you really can't do anything great or worthwhile without falling on your (insert preferred body part here) at least a few times. We really need to feel free to fail if we are going to grow, learn, and make a difference.
Key quote that really got me: "In some ways, I think I've always wanted more for Sojourners (GREAT word by the way) than what I had personally experienced in church. I guess I always wanted more for myself as well." This really resonated with me. We have always defaulted to "invite your neighbor to church" when we want them to meet Jesus. And I think the reason we rarely do so is directly related to that quote! How about us establishing a community of believers that would invite them to meet Jesus in their own daily context! A community that would actually BE Jesus to them. Then, at their own pace, make their way into the larger community, based on an ongoing friendship with said Christ-follower.
I'm going to stop there for a while and let some of your thoughts on the chapter roll in. Until tomorrow!
From: Jason
7 comments:
Well, I have to say that word that keeps popping up in my mind as I read is: "refreshing". We are all REAL people going through REAL problems, and the hardest thing for me to swallow in the past with "playing church" is that every Christian has a cookie cutter model of a perfect life. NOT the case!! People sitting in the local pub are going to be open with each other in a way that will never happen in a pew, on
Sunday, in the 5 minutes after a service before people leave.
First of all, I loved what he said about God is disappointed that the bride is Fiona the Ogre and not Cameron Diaz. That's a great picture.
And the story of him at the pub all night talking to people was a great example of "being" the church, and not just directing them to a Sunday morning service.
Relationships are what it's all about.
I feel like I've had the same feelings and questions that he writes about. I'm excited to read on.
In the reflection section it says "Describe the last time your heart broke for someone" my answer is - constantly. And I need God's help in doing something about it.
I have more to say, but I'll have to come back, when a My Little Pony isn't taking a swim in my coffee and I don't have two little ones hanging off my chair.
Hello
I will repeat what has been said so far but I really do like that the author is human and does stupid stuff such as throwing his cell phone cause he is frustrated.
One of the areas that I know I need to work on was that of how he walks into starbucks and he doesn't just think coffee but thinks about the people and where they are. I know conversation part I have hard time with.
One other part that hit me was I want to be willing and I feel that I am at times but it is on page 6 at the bottom where he says he would gladly give up all his comforts to be fully alive and I think that is seeing people know Christ. Man it has been awhile since I have just been able to be around anything where people are "being" saved.
I have to say that the hardest part for me currently is that I have a hard time seeing my place in "ministry" where I am right now. Right now my family is my ministry and just loving on my girls and doing my best to provide for them takes a lot of my time. So other than that I have a hard time seeing like I can or am making any kind of difference.
Last thing is I don't know exactly how to be more organic in my ministry, I just don't have circles that I run in (maybe cause I try to spend as little $ as possible), but I am going to be a season ticket holder for the portland viks this year so maybe that is a chance to just talk to people and allow His light shine through.
Love you all and can't wait to get to know everyone better and better. I so agree with the statement by "anonymous?" that the 5 min we get to interact with people at a service is such a joke and I feel like I "know" no one at the church were we are going and as soon as the pastor say greet one another I just plop down cause I can't stand the fake "hi how are you - good how are you - great waaa waaa waaa waaa waaaa". I want to be able to really get to know you and hear the crap that you are dealing with and hear the awesome stuff going on in your life.
Well my post may be too much to read, but you will have to suffer through it, especially Jason and Amy for forcing me to use my brain and read.
Love you!!
James
Sorry, Paulette here, it seems that I don't know how to sign up w/google (trust me...I tried) so my AKA for now is "anony" until my hubby gets home and helps me figure it out :)
Hey Guys...Finally getting around to this. :) As I was reading the introduction and through Chapter one I found myself putting the book down several times just to take it all in. I'm thinking, "WOW! This is me!". Maybe this is why I've been so BLAH about ministry in general lately. I certainly identify with all the disappointment from past experiences, but what's worse is that I truly consider my current church now to be a "good one". Still, I have these moments of indifference and laughed when the author was talking about "what's the point". That's how I feel most of the time, unless I am singing/leading worship. That's my point, my calling I guess but even that can get DROLL after a while. Sometimes when I'm on stage singing somewhere I just look out at everyone and feel so....disconnected. Thinking about what is the point of any of this and what in the world does Jesus think about what I'm doing right now? Maybe I'm more jaded than I thought.
Reading this book is going to be good I have a feeling. I love the idea he presents about being more of a "community" rather than a churchy church that has to abide by all the religious rules and codes of conduct. Not that I think rules are bad, but it just seems to have a little less pressure attached to it. I can't wait to read Chapter Two!
By the way, I am totally right there with James and Monica about family taking up a lot of me. In some ways I'm afraid of this venture because I hope I can do it ALL (My walk with Christ, church, marriage, a daughter with ADHD, toddler, trying to take care of my own health/self, extended family issues...the list goes on). Sometimes I'm tempted just to not do anything so that I don't risk failing. That's really brave and triumphant living huh? ha ha. Even now, Jesus is gently reminding me..."Take heart- in this world you will have trouble...but I have overcome the world." I have definitely seen a lesson of faithfulness from the Lord that continues to boggle my mind. So many days I have come to end of myself and when I let Him, God is always there to "take it from there". Sounds so cliche, but every day I trust Him to help me do what I just don't have in me to do. Gotta go for now...
From Amy:
I'm going to rebel and comment on "The Invitation..." page xvii. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this (could be that I was sitting in a massage chair getting a pedicure... but never mind that).
The Reflections section said to reflect on our own experience with church- so here goes.
I was raised in the church- and loved every part. It was so much fun and such a growing and wholesome place for me along side all my other Christian friends. However, I was also raised to live in a "bubble". I was not allowed to listen to worldly music- hang with friends that don't go to church- etc. My grow'n up experience in church was an us and them mentality. Crazy!
When I heard the Lord call me into ministry at 14 yrs old- I was ready to give my life to God and not hold anything back. It was reading Acts about the early church- and the missionary ministry of Paul that really got me going. I was so excited to change the world! I wanted to be used by God to lead people to Him- and to see people experience God in such a real way like I did.
Off to Bible College to change the world- to be significant in the Kingdom. Yet- here I am 12 yrs into ministry- and I ask myself all the time- is this what I was suppose to give my life away for?
When I signed up to be used of God- I didn't picture giving my life away to put on an hour of a church service so everyone can go home and go back to living the way there were before. Hmmm- is this all there is? I am sure that God has something bigger for the Church- and that "something" is what I want to be a part of.
My prayer is that the Lord will use me -us- to be his world changers for Vancouver. I don't want to give my life away for a boring service- but the life-changing-living-breathing God- the One who can heal, change, free and deliver.
I'll save the rest for a sermon.
love you guys---
From Amy:
Ok- now I'm going to comment on chapter 1. What I think is so refreshing is his failure! That may sound funny- but failure- or the fear of it- can be so paralyzing. I remember so clearly God speaking to me a while back about taking risks. At the time i heard it- it became a nice sermon for a women's Bible study- but little did i know that it was going to be the word whispered and shouted at me throughout my journey. It was as we contemplated this new church in Vancouver that fear crept in again. I argued with God a lot about this adventure- yet one thing was true- I didn't want fear to rule my life. Hugh may have failed at his church plant in Portland- and what if we fail here in Vancouver? Oh well. we tried. But fear is not an option.
I guess while i'm at this i should say that it is not my goal to fail- or to hurt people in the process- but it is my goal to learn from each moment of success and failure and to hear the Lord through it.
I think we will all be ok if we take on the 2 greatest commandment- love God and love people. It seems that the theme of this book is about loving people- all of them- and I want to be all about that as well. Loving the good-bad- and the ugly.
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