9

It was June of 2001 when we met together at Clint and Sandy's to discuss whether God was calling us to something other than the local, organized church we were participating in.

The consensus was that He was calling us to meet in a new way. A way that we did not fully understand but that we believed would allow Him to be Head of His church. Where structure and organization would never get in the way of going freely with His Spirit.

I cannot believe that was nine years ago.

And nine years later, I must admit we are a mess. Sometimes, I'm not sure what we've really learned in almost a decade! Have we grown? Are we an expression of Jesus Christ on earth? Are we living, in some way, shape, or form, what we see in the New Testament?

In nine years, people have come and people have gone. But we have stuck together, fully dedicated to trying to love God and one another. Just as a prophet is without honor in his own country, I think a church is least appreciated by those who are in the daily grind of churchlife. How can you see growth or progress when you are staring so closely?

 

Today we had a graduation party for Chyenne, a teenager that Greg and Vena have raised in their home for the past two years and the church has supported in numerous ways. I don't want to romanticize this - it was a hard, confusing journey mixed with successes and failures. But Erin wrote an email to the church today that really made me think about who God is, who we are, and the journey we have been traveling for nine years.

Here is the email:

Tonight we will celebrate with Chyenne her high school graduation.  Certainly, this has not been an easy path for Chyenne.  She has worked hard, even when the odds were against her, and won.  This deserves a party!

I don't think, however, we should stop there.  Let us not overlook that Chyenne's achievement is our God's victory. It is a victory not only in Chyenne but also in his church. 

It is fitting that in a broken world, the church would be a different kind of community.  Where else would you see...

• A family and extended family, dealing with the heartache of impending divorce, continuing to love and provide for people who they have no blood or legal responsibility for
• A couple with a young child, whose lives are already full, providing a home for a teenage girl with some rebellion in her past.  A couple who would give and love and sacrifice and change their lives daily -- and yet not take the sacred role of parent from others
• Nine families giving financially (just under $10,000 in two years) so that a teenager could go to a private Christian school -- despite the fact that these same families may not be able to afford their own children the same opportunity
• A host of people praying for this same teen and giving to her through encouraging words, warm hugs and sincere interest in her life.  This same group providing summer camp and babysitting jobs and doctors appointments and letter jackets and slumber parties and transportation and a thousand other things that go largely unnoticed.

If someone had asked a couple of years ago, could we as a church do all this?  I don't know what we would have said.  I know what I would have thought. And yet here we are.  Our God promises His provision. I know as much but many days, I don't believe it.  Thankfully, there are some days where the truth is hard to ignore.

So tonight let us celebrate our God, being who He says He is, manifest in his people.  

Erin

I think the purpose of God can be and should be captured in the local church. Yes, this evening we were celebrating Chyenne, but I was also secretly celebrating how beautiful these last nine years have been for me.

 

Comments

[amy]

Nine years...wow. It's sort of funny to me because I often think of my family as sort of 'newcomers' because we weren't here at the inception. But, uh, I realized we came in June of 2003, which pretty much makes us long-haulers. Hmm.

I was similarly encouraged by Erin's email, as I am encouraged by your reflections here. It's good to be reminded of (and to have our eyes opened to) what is right in front of us.

[Maria]

Erin's email was excellent. It was good to remember that it was God's work and it was a process. The last 9 years has been God's work and a process. You know we announced we were pregnant with Benjamin at the meeting 9 years ago. He is such a blessing to us. Thanks for posting this.