Filed under: Bible, Bio, Missional Living | Tags: cheerleading, Community, Jesus, kids, team
The girls have been cheerleading the past 3 months. Lets just say its been an experience. It’s taken more time, more money, and more commitment then we ever expected, but it’s also been a learning experience, I learned a lot about how negativity affects others, how overcommitment (even when it’s to good things) can really cause more harm then good, and how we as Christians can really constrain the work of God by justifying and spiritiualizing our actions instead of admitting our mistakes and failures.
But most of all, sitting here watching my girls practice for their cheer competition this weekend, I’m reminded of how important important camaraderie and community is, and how much we all want to be accepted. There is something about coming together as a team and accomplishing something that brings joy and purpose in spite of adversity and frustration. All the girls are frustrated, some are crying, the coach has been yelling, but once they hit their routine and succeed, all that disappears, and joy radiates off their faces.
I’m pretty sure the concept extends past cheerleading. God has created us to be a part of something bigger. To be a part of a team that is immersed in His story is what we were made for. Sure, God is not an overcommitted cheer coach, but He is cheering us on, calling us into our best. And when we live in that together, as a family, we experience His joy. The joy He created us for.
We are all wired to be connected with others, we’re wired to fulfill our purpose, and we’re created for something so much more on this earth then what we often settle for. One writer summed it up way better then I ever could in a letter he wrote to one of the first gatherings of Jesus followers. He wrote:
And I ask Him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Think about that for awhile.
And go live it together.
Filed under: Bio | Tags: Church, Community, God, House Church, Jesus, Life After Church, Missional Living, Spirituality
I’ve never started a blog before (or read the first post of a blog for that matter), so I’m not really sure how these things go. Let me introduce myself and fill you in on a little of what makes my heart beat.
My name is Darrin, I’m almost 33 years old. I love Jesus. I live in Reno Nevada, and I recently “left” my youth pastor job at a large local church. I had been working there for over 12 years and over that time I became more and more troubled by the institutional church. It seemed we were really good at providing programs for people “like us”, but making little impact in our overall community. How was I bringing the kingdom of God (His love, grace, forgiveness, joy, and peace) to Reno? If the church disappeared would it make any difference to the people around us that didn’t attend there? Was God’s concept of “church” intended to be a social club or elite society that told outsiders how wrong they were? These questions began to haunt me and so I began to dream….
I dreamt about what our community would look like if followers of Jesus were known by their love. I dreamed about a group of people who were dedicated to living the way of Jesus and impacting the larger community. I dreamed of building bridges between people with different viewpoints and different understandings of God, and I dreamed of moving the concept of “church” away from its association with a building (I go to church) and back to it’s connection with God and His people (We are church together, and when we bring grace, love, and hope we “do” church together). I shared these dreams and frustrations with the leadership at the church I worked at and they listened, agreed, and finally fired me. I don’t blame them. I would of probably fired me too. My dreams didn’t (and don’t) fit in the concept of an institutional church that is focused on attracting people into a building.
This was the best thing that ever happened to me. But that is a different story…
