Going to Church

Ok...I have to blog about one of my convictions. Something I'm pretty passionate about. Along the lines of eating cheesecake, I find church to be a "must" for me.

I should clarify...

    By "going to church", I don't mean simply "attending" in a specific building. I mean "involvement".

    By "involvement", I don't simply mean getting on a committee, joining the worship team, teaching a class... I mean "engaging".

    By "engaging", I mean...sharing your life with a larger group of people. Not just people who think exactly like you do...no, that's not usually healthy. I'm referring to a group that shares a similar foundational love for Jesus but is diverse in the lesser interpretations, passions, giftings, etc. Holding on to humility...such things are beautifully possible.

It's entering into community life.

No, not the weird cult type of thing.

A connection thing. A culture of honor. One that has the free space of grace that challenges the "ick" without shame and more so calls forth the "wow" in each of us.

So, so, so much growth comes out of that. Not the kind that keeps you focused solely on the group...the kind that inspires you to share what God has put in you wherever you go from there. A launching pad.

Relationship. Growth. Mission.

Yep, it involves stepping out of my introverted, comfort zone, but it's worth it. Pursuing relationship with others...eek, initiating...and finding yourself being pursued right back. Lovely.

It's seriously fantastic...and I don't want to miss out on that for one second.

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Side note: Now, don't freak out...just because it's my belief and my utter delight doesn't mean I somehow think the Christian non-church-goers are idiots. I respect the convictions of others and know we can agree to disagree. I feel for people who aren't simply standing on a belief though...the ones who withdraw because of hurts or even a judgment of pride or bitterness. Sometimes I wish there was a way to push through that to call them out of "reaction" and into "response", but that's not my job...and it's not something you force.