Two

Two random, completely unrelated thoughts...

First, still processing what the church could and should look like... A few nights ago a family member and I invited a young guy (Andrew, 19 years old) to join us for dinner.  This is somewhat strange because we had only known him for a few minutes.  I know what you're thinking..."What in the world is happening to Adam?"  I'm not sure, but I like it.

Anyways, Andrew is from L.A.  That's a slightly different culture than Knoxville.  As dialogue began to go a little deeper with Andrew, he communicated that he liked Jesus a lot.  My mind immediately ran to the great music video, "Jesus is my friend" (which if you haven't seen you should stop reading and watch immediately on youtube).  Andrew felt like Jesus was for him.  Jesus has a plan for him.  Jesus was with him.  However, he did not like church at all, and he had no desire to ever go.  Pretty bold statement since he knew I have close ties to the church. 

Still processing about the church, and I'm really wondering, "How have I contributed to the church not being what God intended it to be?"  In some ways the student ministries I've been a part of have functioned as mini-churches... what could I have done to make it more biblical, Spirit-led and trinitarian-based?  Many thoughts on this are being birthed in my head... I'll share them another time after I've pressed into them a little more.

This morning a friend and I drove by about eight churches.  The first seven churches didn't have a single car in the parking lot.  Finally, the eighth church had a good crowd.  My friend's comment (and well-intentioned) was, "They must be doing something right."  That didn't sit well with me.  Maybe it's easier to get a large crowd if you're not doing things right.  I've been a part of large churches that are doing things very well.  I'm just saying that I don't think that's enough evidence to say a church is doing "church" correctly.  Talking about our sin often is not received well.  Complete authenticity about our struggles... well, it can make people feel really uncomfortable or even disgusted.  Maybe doing "church" right might have different results than the church with a full parking lot.

Still thinking through the question of, "What is our primary reason for going to church?"  Seems in the last two days I've heard the following statements:  1)  I just want to be a good person.  2)  I just want to help / serve people.  Those are obviously both good things, but they should not be the main reason anyone goes to church.  In fact, I have pursued those things without even pursuing the Lord.

Secondly, on to the seemingly completely unrelated thought... I read the following quote yesterday, "... brokenness releases power.  The deeper the brokenness, the greater the power."  The more I've wrestled with this the more I've discovered truth in it.  My wife is an incredibly powerful woman.  She has experienced great brokenness, and she unashamedly shares it.  Recently she shared a reoccurring thought that had haunted her.  When she shared it out loud, I thought, "Oh my goodness, Kel!  What are you doing?  It's okay to share that with me, but don't share that with anyone else!"  Then something strange happened.  I could see the power released into another friend present.  He felt alive to be real.  We won't feel and know the power of grace until we come clean with God.  She invited him to come clean with God.  She released power.

I initially thought these two thoughts - 1) what should the church look like and 2) brokenness releases power... well, I thought they were unrelated.  Maybe they fit perfectly together.  Maybe the power we all long to have is only found through brokenness in spiritual community ("church")?