Okay, in one of my recent blog ravings, which by the way was started at 4:30 AM in the morning, God showed up and interrupted. When God interrupts . . . well, if you are a practicing Christian, you'll know what I mean. If not, well, there's no point in my explaining. Just read on and enjoy God's joke on me . . . part 3.
In the first two installments of this conversation, I was telling you about my narrow escape from the Baptists and how I found my way to Stonewater, a non-denominational church in the heart of Texas.
At the first of November, I went to Stonewater's membership meeting because I wanted to understand what they, as a non-denominational church, were all about. I had already determined that they were a biblically based church, which was my first requirement, but imagine my surprise when, during the membership "discovery" meeting, the pastor stated that they were all former Baptist ministers and the church was supported by the Southern Baptists as an outreach church. God has a wicked sense of humor, indeed, and this time I was the brunt of His joke.
Since then my conversations with God have been pretty much what you would expect from me: God says, and I try to debate Him. Well, actually, I suppose it's more like I'm that annoying child that keeps asking why to every answer: God, are you sure this is where I am supposed to be? Lord, you really want to set me down amongst a bunch of Baptists in non-denominational clothing? I mean, Lord, you just don't drop a Scottish Presbyterian down among the Southern Baptists! I don't even eat fried chicken!Lord, is this a joke . . . and one last thing . . . is the joke on them or on me?
During my attendance at Stonewater, God has patiently been waiting for me to figure out why He has brought me across country to a small town in Texas. Here's what he has revealed to me over these past weeks:
1. To everything there is a season. I am meant to be here because I am meant to go in a different direction in my walk with Christ. Mandarin Presbyterian was a foundation, a time of readiness and preparation. I learned a lot from the people and the pastors there. I knew about Christ when I got there, but at MPC I learned how to put it all together and into practice. At Mandarin Presbyterian I learned what Christ looks like.
2. God doesn't care about man-made rituals and traditions, but I do, and over these past weeks I've learned that it's okay if we don't say the Apostle's creed every Sunday. I just have to know it in my heart. There are no stained glass windows at Stonewater, no pews, no purple-robed people in the choir loft, no flowers at the alter to honor a loved one, no table of rememberance for the Lord's supper.
God wanted to teach me to accept change and to expect the unexpected and rejoice in it. He wanted me to know that the body of Christ can't appeal to the unchurched through traditions and rituals. The funny thing is, in my profession I teach my clients that they can't run their businesses the same way that they did three, five, ten, twenty years ago. Why hadn't I applied that logic to my spiritual life? Which leads me to another question: when did Christ's church become a business?
3. As the hands and feet of Christ, we are meant to serve. I am meant to take on a different role and spend less time leading and more time learning. I am still meant to serve . . . but there is a period of intensive studying before me and that's His priority, which means it's mine. I'm glad that I am a good, disciplined student, but I am still not sure how I will get from here to there. I do know this: God equips those whom He calls. I'm not going to worry about it. God is in the details and He'll take care of them. The old me would have said: Um, Lord, you do realize I still have bills to pay and can't be a full-time student, don't you?
4. God puts us right where we need to be. Sometimes we stumble around under our own power and end much like a lost tribe wandering around in the desert, but when we pay attention and walk in obedience, the path before us is better lit and we stumble less. When you are following God, you don't get lost. He knows the way. He has the map and He planned the journey. The interesting thing to remember is that God always has a "Plan B" for us because He knows we don't stick His Plan A.
It still amazes me to think that before I left Florida, my pastors' messages for about a month were entitled "Road Trips", where is God taking us? When I get to Stonewater, Day One, the messages are entitled "Road Trips", where are we taking God?
God has a wicked sense of humor. I am a Presbyterian Deacon on a mission from God in an evangelical Baptist-doctrined mission church on one of the most amazing personal faith journeys to date. God is at work in my life and I am on a serious road trip.
Whoo-eee, what a ride. Can you hear God laughing?
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
In the first two installments of this conversation, I was telling you about my narrow escape from the Baptists and how I found my way to Stonewater, a non-denominational church in the heart of Texas.
At the first of November, I went to Stonewater's membership meeting because I wanted to understand what they, as a non-denominational church, were all about. I had already determined that they were a biblically based church, which was my first requirement, but imagine my surprise when, during the membership "discovery" meeting, the pastor stated that they were all former Baptist ministers and the church was supported by the Southern Baptists as an outreach church. God has a wicked sense of humor, indeed, and this time I was the brunt of His joke.
Since then my conversations with God have been pretty much what you would expect from me: God says, and I try to debate Him. Well, actually, I suppose it's more like I'm that annoying child that keeps asking why to every answer: God, are you sure this is where I am supposed to be? Lord, you really want to set me down amongst a bunch of Baptists in non-denominational clothing? I mean, Lord, you just don't drop a Scottish Presbyterian down among the Southern Baptists! I don't even eat fried chicken!Lord, is this a joke . . . and one last thing . . . is the joke on them or on me?
During my attendance at Stonewater, God has patiently been waiting for me to figure out why He has brought me across country to a small town in Texas. Here's what he has revealed to me over these past weeks:
1. To everything there is a season. I am meant to be here because I am meant to go in a different direction in my walk with Christ. Mandarin Presbyterian was a foundation, a time of readiness and preparation. I learned a lot from the people and the pastors there. I knew about Christ when I got there, but at MPC I learned how to put it all together and into practice. At Mandarin Presbyterian I learned what Christ looks like.
2. God doesn't care about man-made rituals and traditions, but I do, and over these past weeks I've learned that it's okay if we don't say the Apostle's creed every Sunday. I just have to know it in my heart. There are no stained glass windows at Stonewater, no pews, no purple-robed people in the choir loft, no flowers at the alter to honor a loved one, no table of rememberance for the Lord's supper.
God wanted to teach me to accept change and to expect the unexpected and rejoice in it. He wanted me to know that the body of Christ can't appeal to the unchurched through traditions and rituals. The funny thing is, in my profession I teach my clients that they can't run their businesses the same way that they did three, five, ten, twenty years ago. Why hadn't I applied that logic to my spiritual life? Which leads me to another question: when did Christ's church become a business?
3. As the hands and feet of Christ, we are meant to serve. I am meant to take on a different role and spend less time leading and more time learning. I am still meant to serve . . . but there is a period of intensive studying before me and that's His priority, which means it's mine. I'm glad that I am a good, disciplined student, but I am still not sure how I will get from here to there. I do know this: God equips those whom He calls. I'm not going to worry about it. God is in the details and He'll take care of them. The old me would have said: Um, Lord, you do realize I still have bills to pay and can't be a full-time student, don't you?
4. God puts us right where we need to be. Sometimes we stumble around under our own power and end much like a lost tribe wandering around in the desert, but when we pay attention and walk in obedience, the path before us is better lit and we stumble less. When you are following God, you don't get lost. He knows the way. He has the map and He planned the journey. The interesting thing to remember is that God always has a "Plan B" for us because He knows we don't stick His Plan A.
It still amazes me to think that before I left Florida, my pastors' messages for about a month were entitled "Road Trips", where is God taking us? When I get to Stonewater, Day One, the messages are entitled "Road Trips", where are we taking God?
God has a wicked sense of humor. I am a Presbyterian Deacon on a mission from God in an evangelical Baptist-doctrined mission church on one of the most amazing personal faith journeys to date. God is at work in my life and I am on a serious road trip.
Whoo-eee, what a ride. Can you hear God laughing?
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
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