I know it's been forever since I wrote, but this has very much been on my mind and heart so thought I'd share it.
I guess I've been thinking a lot about the potential and what we, us, as mere humans, can create...
Imagine a place where you attend, where you participate and where there is freedom for God to move. Where people are not selfish in their desires and enter with an open mind. Imagine a place where people leave their intentions at the door and their preferences and go with an open heart to receive from people and God. Imagine walking into a door where people are glad to see you, and you're glad to see them. Imagine sharing a meal with people you actually like regardless of the choices they make because you've chosen to love as Christ does, pure and blameless, holding no inequities over them and looking at them with unobstructed lenses. Imagine laughing and your kids laughing and enjoying the spirit and atmosphere of the place and people that they, in collaboration with God, create. Imagine a place where you are free to cry and someone comes and puts an arm around you. They don't need to say anything, they're just there. If you want to share you can, if you don't then you don't. They put their hand on you and pray blessings and honour into your life where you feel crushed and burdened and you can't breathe. Imagine another person embracing someone because they're celebrating. Imagine a place where those things exist - the community that God intends for us. The kingdom of God in its fullness, everyone participating and being free to be themselves in Christ. Everyone taking up a part because it is natural and feels good and right. Imagine a place where everyone is celebrated and appreciated for their gifts and strengths, and where people feel they can practise love, kindness, gentleness, self control and all the other fruits of the spirit. And when they get it wrong, or mess up a little then people don't condemn but spur them on and come alongside. Imagine a place where the message that is shared is embraced, thought about, prayed for and mulled over. Imagine inviting the message and God into your life for the week to change you and make you new. No matter how simple it seems, that everyone comes with an attitude of openness to hear something new from Christ. Imagine a place where forgiveness is practised and through practising forgiveness we are able to fully embrace Christs forgiveness in our own lives. Imagine a place where we get to see God move without limits. Imagine a place where miracles and mercies flow every moment.
Now imagine a place that people don't like each other. That everyone attends with their own agendas. And when their agendas don't get met, they get pissed and leave. Imagine a place where we sing to Christ but its not good enough because it didn't come 'out of a pure heart' or 'didn't sound good this week'. Imagine a place where people criticise each other based on them not 'working or doing' good enough. Imagine a place where people criticise what is being spoken instead of embracing the truth of the message that is shared - no matter how it is presented. Imagine people thinking that others aren't good enough Christians because they're not on the same seeking journey as them. Imagine knowing that someone is annoyed with you when you turn up to church but there is not the forgiving environment where you can sort it out. Imagine a place where forgiveness is not practised. Imagine a place where bitterness and selfishness reign rather than the fruits of the spirit. Imagine a place where people pick and choose what they want to participate in, what they can be bothered doing, what they think is valuable and casting judgement on the rest.
I'm not saying its easy. But I am saying its a choice. I'm not preaching from the converted but I'm coming from a place of working on it too. My finger, it likes to point and it likes to blame but I know I have many areas that I need grace, help and love in.
So what are you going to choose? You have the power to choose life over death, freedom over shackles and the kingdom over darkness. It's all a choice. Not an easy one, but one that will change you to be more like Christ and in turn, the people around you.
Imagine that.
I guess I've been thinking a lot about the potential and what we, us, as mere humans, can create...
Imagine a place where you attend, where you participate and where there is freedom for God to move. Where people are not selfish in their desires and enter with an open mind. Imagine a place where people leave their intentions at the door and their preferences and go with an open heart to receive from people and God. Imagine walking into a door where people are glad to see you, and you're glad to see them. Imagine sharing a meal with people you actually like regardless of the choices they make because you've chosen to love as Christ does, pure and blameless, holding no inequities over them and looking at them with unobstructed lenses. Imagine laughing and your kids laughing and enjoying the spirit and atmosphere of the place and people that they, in collaboration with God, create. Imagine a place where you are free to cry and someone comes and puts an arm around you. They don't need to say anything, they're just there. If you want to share you can, if you don't then you don't. They put their hand on you and pray blessings and honour into your life where you feel crushed and burdened and you can't breathe. Imagine another person embracing someone because they're celebrating. Imagine a place where those things exist - the community that God intends for us. The kingdom of God in its fullness, everyone participating and being free to be themselves in Christ. Everyone taking up a part because it is natural and feels good and right. Imagine a place where everyone is celebrated and appreciated for their gifts and strengths, and where people feel they can practise love, kindness, gentleness, self control and all the other fruits of the spirit. And when they get it wrong, or mess up a little then people don't condemn but spur them on and come alongside. Imagine a place where the message that is shared is embraced, thought about, prayed for and mulled over. Imagine inviting the message and God into your life for the week to change you and make you new. No matter how simple it seems, that everyone comes with an attitude of openness to hear something new from Christ. Imagine a place where forgiveness is practised and through practising forgiveness we are able to fully embrace Christs forgiveness in our own lives. Imagine a place where we get to see God move without limits. Imagine a place where miracles and mercies flow every moment.
Now imagine a place that people don't like each other. That everyone attends with their own agendas. And when their agendas don't get met, they get pissed and leave. Imagine a place where we sing to Christ but its not good enough because it didn't come 'out of a pure heart' or 'didn't sound good this week'. Imagine a place where people criticise each other based on them not 'working or doing' good enough. Imagine a place where people criticise what is being spoken instead of embracing the truth of the message that is shared - no matter how it is presented. Imagine people thinking that others aren't good enough Christians because they're not on the same seeking journey as them. Imagine knowing that someone is annoyed with you when you turn up to church but there is not the forgiving environment where you can sort it out. Imagine a place where forgiveness is not practised. Imagine a place where bitterness and selfishness reign rather than the fruits of the spirit. Imagine a place where people pick and choose what they want to participate in, what they can be bothered doing, what they think is valuable and casting judgement on the rest.
I'm not saying its easy. But I am saying its a choice. I'm not preaching from the converted but I'm coming from a place of working on it too. My finger, it likes to point and it likes to blame but I know I have many areas that I need grace, help and love in.
So what are you going to choose? You have the power to choose life over death, freedom over shackles and the kingdom over darkness. It's all a choice. Not an easy one, but one that will change you to be more like Christ and in turn, the people around you.
Imagine that.
