Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 October 2005 13:20:05
O.k. Church is not going well. Somewhere back there in the archives of Jan and Feb is all this stuff about feeling connected to the place, and love and family and stuff like that.
Now I just feel really disconnected. Really, I think if I died, no one would miss me. How could they when they don't know me?
So how do you get to know people? Easy. Do stuff with them. How do I do stuff with these people? They don't seem to do anything together. This can't be true of course for a group of people who seem so connected to each other. Actually, maybe they just don't do organised, programmed type stuff together. Maybe they just get together for dinner and lunch and coffee and stuff. Isn't that what we're all aiming for in the whole real-whole of life-honest relationships type Christianity? How do I break into that?
Maybe stuff is going on but I'm out of the communication loop, since they don't have a group email happening (something about they'd rather just talk to each other) and I miss the announcements at the beginning almost always.
Really, they seem like such a misfit bunch. They are all so very different, with such very different and often painful pasts. And they do seem like such an amazingly close bunch. If it is true that people will know you are a Jesus follower by the love you have for each other, then I would say these people are Jesus followers.
But I don't know if I want to join them any more.
I keep thinking of the first Christians meeting together in the temple. I sort of picture them gathered in a group together under a verandah in the court yard all worshipping God together, meeting together in a contagious way, so that people saw their love for God and each other and wanted to join them.
I wonder if it would work down at the tennis club, and the cricket club, and the CFA (Country Fire Authority volunteer fire fighters - most amazing group of people in the country), and work and school, and the gym. Imagine gym church! Oops, got a bit side tracked with that thought!
It might work if you could find a way to welcome people in and make them feel wanted.
Help. How do I do that?