Do you ever get the feeling that you're running on empty? That there's nothing left inside you and you're just kind of going through life with no emotion, no passion, no energy . . . no nothing (OK, OK I know that's bad grammar, but it's my blog so I can write what I want).
Running on empty . . . that would describe pretty much how I've been feeling lately. It's not the most pleasant way to go through life. It gets tiring pretty quickly.
Anyway, I've been thinking about this (since last night when I realized how I was feeling so forgive me if my thoughts aren't completely finished on some of these things) . . . and wondering how do you get beyond that feeling of running on empty? How do you "fix that problem" for lack of a better word?
I mean, I'm still going to church and reading my Bible and praying . . . doing all those things that a good Christian should do. And they don't quite seem to be working. So, what to do?
I think sometimes just doing the things we know we should do isn't enough because they should be a part of our lives all the time, not just when we feel empty. When we feel like we're running on empty, we need to do something different that helps us to connect with God and be filled again by Him.
What sorts of things work? I think every person is different and so different ways are going to work for them. For some people it might be getting together with a group of people and for some people it might be going off someplace alone. Some people might want to be in a church with traditional symbols and sounds, while others want to be outside in nature.
All people are different and will connect very differently with God and be filled by Him in different ways. The key is that when we feel like we're running on empty we do something about it.
I know for me it means that I need to get out of the noise of city life (however small my city may be in comparison to yours) - to a place where I can be alone and surrounded by God's incredibly beautiful creation. But, I also need to balance this with getting together with fellow followers of Christ to dig deeply into God's Word and challenge and pray for one another.
What about you? What would you need to do?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
the importance of the church
With the sermon series we have been doing at church recently I have been thinking a lot about the church. The series is called the Quest for the Authentic Church, and it has been thought provoking. We have talked about evangelism, fellowship (community), worship, discipleship,and service. All of which I agree are very important to the life of the church and to life as a follower of Christ.
Tonight as the pastor was finishing up his last message in the series, the one on service, he was talking about how you need all five of these things - evangelism, fellowship, worship, discipleship, and service - to have a healthy, functioning church. And then he went on to make a comment about some people pulling back from the the church, as an institution, and saying they didn't need that since the church is the people of God, not the buildings and the institution. The pastor didn't deny that the church is the people of God, but he also asked the question of whether those who have pulled away from the church have all of these five things in their lives.
It made me think about something I have heard from a number of young adults in the past few years - that they don't come to church because they're disillusioned with the institution of the church, and that they don't need to come to church because they have community on their own with their friends. But, the words of the pastor tonight made me think a little more deeply about that.
You know, honestly, there have been times when I have felt the same way; yet, for some unknown reason I've never been able to walk away from the church. Tonight it clicked for me why I have never been able to walk away from the church, and it's because I know that without these things (the five listed above) there is something missing in my life. Yes, the church is the people of God whether we are gathered in a building or scattered in the rest of our lives, but there is an importance to both (and this sermon series talked about both).
I have also thought about the descriptions of the early church found in Acts. Even in the early church, there was some sort of structure and organization. The church, as an institution, has existed as long as the church as the people as God has existed. There is no way that a group of people on the fringes of society in those early days could have done what they did without some sort of structure and organization to guide the work. Just as there is no way that it can happen without it today. I'm not trying to discount the work of the Holy Spirit and the things that do happen outside of the church. But, I think we sometimes forget about the need for a structure and organization so we can better complete the work we have been called to do.
Does the institution of the church have its problems? Yes! I would be lying to myself if I said no. But I don't think walking away from it is the answer.
There's a quote that my pastor has repeated many times in the course of this sermon series that has really stuck with me. It's from Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It talks about how we often criticize the church that exists, rather than becoming the church we dream of. I think that idea hits the nail on the head. If we're disillusioned with the church, or maybe we've been hurt by it and walked away before, maybe we need to set ourselves to becoming the church we've always dreamed of rather than walking away from the church.
Think about it for a while. What would happen if we decided to become the church we dreamed of and set ourselves to doing that, rather than deciding we don't need the church and walking away from it? I think it would have a bigger impact and be the better answer.
Tonight as the pastor was finishing up his last message in the series, the one on service, he was talking about how you need all five of these things - evangelism, fellowship, worship, discipleship, and service - to have a healthy, functioning church. And then he went on to make a comment about some people pulling back from the the church, as an institution, and saying they didn't need that since the church is the people of God, not the buildings and the institution. The pastor didn't deny that the church is the people of God, but he also asked the question of whether those who have pulled away from the church have all of these five things in their lives.
It made me think about something I have heard from a number of young adults in the past few years - that they don't come to church because they're disillusioned with the institution of the church, and that they don't need to come to church because they have community on their own with their friends. But, the words of the pastor tonight made me think a little more deeply about that.
You know, honestly, there have been times when I have felt the same way; yet, for some unknown reason I've never been able to walk away from the church. Tonight it clicked for me why I have never been able to walk away from the church, and it's because I know that without these things (the five listed above) there is something missing in my life. Yes, the church is the people of God whether we are gathered in a building or scattered in the rest of our lives, but there is an importance to both (and this sermon series talked about both).
I have also thought about the descriptions of the early church found in Acts. Even in the early church, there was some sort of structure and organization. The church, as an institution, has existed as long as the church as the people as God has existed. There is no way that a group of people on the fringes of society in those early days could have done what they did without some sort of structure and organization to guide the work. Just as there is no way that it can happen without it today. I'm not trying to discount the work of the Holy Spirit and the things that do happen outside of the church. But, I think we sometimes forget about the need for a structure and organization so we can better complete the work we have been called to do.
Does the institution of the church have its problems? Yes! I would be lying to myself if I said no. But I don't think walking away from it is the answer.
There's a quote that my pastor has repeated many times in the course of this sermon series that has really stuck with me. It's from Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It talks about how we often criticize the church that exists, rather than becoming the church we dream of. I think that idea hits the nail on the head. If we're disillusioned with the church, or maybe we've been hurt by it and walked away before, maybe we need to set ourselves to becoming the church we've always dreamed of rather than walking away from the church.
Think about it for a while. What would happen if we decided to become the church we dreamed of and set ourselves to doing that, rather than deciding we don't need the church and walking away from it? I think it would have a bigger impact and be the better answer.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
showing up at important church stuff
So, I just got home a few minutes ago from a church business meeting. Not always the most exciting thing to go to , but they're important and so I go and sit through them so that I know what's going on and have a say in decisions that are made. Really, the same idea as a government election (since we Canadians just had one this past week) . . . if you don't show up you don't have a say.
As I looked around the room tonight, I was both happy and dismayed at the same time. Happy that there were lots of people taking an interest and happy that there were more young adults there than I usually see. But, also dismayed, because out of the group of young adults that I know are members and should be more involved there were so few of us there. Not that I look down on those who weren't there . . . I've done my fair share of skipping these meetings because I decided they were boring.
But, as I thought about it today, I started to draw a bit of a parallel in my mind between things I've heard from both young adults and the generations that have gone before us. I've heard the generations that have gone before ask where the next generation of leaders - the young adults (age 18-30ish) - are at these meetings. I've heard young adults say that they don't come because they think they're boring. I've heard the generations that have gone before us say that if we really cared about it we would show up whether we found parts of the meeting boring or not, and because we generally don't show up we don't care. I've heard young adults ask why the generations that have gone before us don't take us seriously and don't ask for our input.
Both sides are asking valid questions and deserve answers.
My answer to the generations that have gone before us is that we do want to be taken seriously. But, sadly, we don't always make the effort to be heard or get involved. If you know young adults who should be at these meetings, challenge them to get involved. Don't be afraid to get us upset enough to come.
But, my passionate answer is the one that I give to other young adults. The generations before want to take us seriously - they want to hear from us - they want our input. And there is a way for us to do this, but it requires that WE DO SOMETHING! Those church business meetings that we decide are boring and therefore don't attend, happen for a reason. They are the opportunity for the church members - the people who make up the church - to have a say in decisions about all kinds of matters. If we don't show up at these meetings, our voice cannot and will not be heard! In an organization the size of most churches these meetings are the most effective way to bring things to the church and get the feedback of the people who make up the church.
If we continue to refuse to get involved in these things, then we can continue to expect the generations before us not to take us seriously. We are the future leaders of the church! In 20 years, we will be the ones who are called upon and relied upon to do these things. Why not start now and learn from the older generations, so that as we get older we don't make the same mistakes that have already been made!
The young adults of today are the future leaders of the church! We must get off our butts and get involved now!!! We cannot continue to sit around and complain that no one takes us seriously. They don't take us seriously because we don't take initiative and get involved. Let's change that! Who's in???
As I looked around the room tonight, I was both happy and dismayed at the same time. Happy that there were lots of people taking an interest and happy that there were more young adults there than I usually see. But, also dismayed, because out of the group of young adults that I know are members and should be more involved there were so few of us there. Not that I look down on those who weren't there . . . I've done my fair share of skipping these meetings because I decided they were boring.
But, as I thought about it today, I started to draw a bit of a parallel in my mind between things I've heard from both young adults and the generations that have gone before us. I've heard the generations that have gone before ask where the next generation of leaders - the young adults (age 18-30ish) - are at these meetings. I've heard young adults say that they don't come because they think they're boring. I've heard the generations that have gone before us say that if we really cared about it we would show up whether we found parts of the meeting boring or not, and because we generally don't show up we don't care. I've heard young adults ask why the generations that have gone before us don't take us seriously and don't ask for our input.
Both sides are asking valid questions and deserve answers.
My answer to the generations that have gone before us is that we do want to be taken seriously. But, sadly, we don't always make the effort to be heard or get involved. If you know young adults who should be at these meetings, challenge them to get involved. Don't be afraid to get us upset enough to come.
But, my passionate answer is the one that I give to other young adults. The generations before want to take us seriously - they want to hear from us - they want our input. And there is a way for us to do this, but it requires that WE DO SOMETHING! Those church business meetings that we decide are boring and therefore don't attend, happen for a reason. They are the opportunity for the church members - the people who make up the church - to have a say in decisions about all kinds of matters. If we don't show up at these meetings, our voice cannot and will not be heard! In an organization the size of most churches these meetings are the most effective way to bring things to the church and get the feedback of the people who make up the church.
If we continue to refuse to get involved in these things, then we can continue to expect the generations before us not to take us seriously. We are the future leaders of the church! In 20 years, we will be the ones who are called upon and relied upon to do these things. Why not start now and learn from the older generations, so that as we get older we don't make the same mistakes that have already been made!
The young adults of today are the future leaders of the church! We must get off our butts and get involved now!!! We cannot continue to sit around and complain that no one takes us seriously. They don't take us seriously because we don't take initiative and get involved. Let's change that! Who's in???
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