What a powerful worship we had yesterday. We were blessed to have many people from our congregation who were vulnerable enough to share a piece of their life story with the us. It took a lot of courage to come forward and let people know about past mistakes, abuse, and loss. I know sometimes it is easier to share our struggles with strangers, but to share them in front of your church family takes courage. Their openness can encourage us to be open as well with our stories.
First, it can show us that we need to share our stories. I believe we all need to open with those close to us and share our faults and mistakes because most people know we are not perfect, so why try to keep up the charade. Also, as we share our stories we dig deeper into our relationships with others.
Second, this reminds us of the stories of people outside the church. If people who have a church home have such difficult stories, imagine what stories will come from those without a church home. I can't believe the stories some would have to keep inside themselves because they do not have a safe place to be open about their stories. One of our responsibilities as Christians is to let people know God is listening. God hears their story and God cares about their story. And the only way people will know that is if we communicate it to them.
So get to work discovering the real stories of the real people around you.
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5 comments:
It WAS a powerful worship yesterday. It was so powerful big, burly men all around me were sniffling into their sleeves. I think it was so powerful because each of us could see ourselves in those wonderful souls holding up their cardboard testimonies. And to know that if God listened to them, he listened to us. Affirmation!!
This is something that John and I have played many times while people watching at the mall or waiting at the ER (which we do ALOT). We pick out a person and make up their life story. We can go good or evil, funny or sad. I guess the challenge for us now is to quit making stuff up and really ask them what their life story is. We need to open ourselves up.
On Saturday you asked everyone in our group at the seminar in Vinton to think about someone they knew that was unchurched and to try to extend an invitation to come to our church and evaluate it. I was being a smart aleck when I said, "I'm sorry, all my friends are already Methodists!" As I thought about that flip statement, I realized that in a way, that's true. We don't really have a lot of friends outside our church circle. Perhaps John and I need to work on our outreach skills and take the time to listen to the stories. Jeanie
In the Walk Across the Room book it states your interaaction with with people far from God declines steadily the longer you are a Christian. It has a diagram that shows after 8 years of following Christ most people have 0 close friends who are far from God. So this does remind us that we need to make an effort to meet new people. This is part of the reason I have started eating lunch at the Sundown every other week. I am seeing new people there that I have not met in town.
I bet! You should try having a late supper there some night and you would meet all kinds of people you have never seen before! :-)
I humbly offer this ~ when I first moved back to Iowa from Australia I had NO church home yet knew I so wanted one. Even before I could find a place to live I found a small Methodist Church.
At first glance I was accepted. However ~ upon wanting to be involved I attended not only a Monday evening Bible study but also a woman's study on Wednesday mornings.
When I did find a place to live it was far enough away from the church that walking was not an option.
Strangely altho I tried to call several church members and left messages for the pastor ~ I was forgotten.
Now there is of course far more to this ~ but let me say ~ a church home for anyone is only as good as those in the Church who are willing to shepherd the vulnerable newbies.
It surely sounds like this church you pastor is being lead to share and reach out.
May God Bless all the efforts.
Hugs ~
Kate B
Thank you Kate for sharing about your experience. I hope that you do have a church home where you can be fed. I also hope that our church can be a place where all are welcome.
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