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Monday, March 24
and we hate it when Jesus shows up, too...
Mike and I were out for a bit together this morning, taking a little breather after the excitement of yesterday. We enjoyed every minute of Easter at Eola, believe me, but there's only so much you can take of riding through life like you've been chugging Red Bull and the Holy Spirit combined into some kind of sacred Cocktail of Crazy Jesus Love for the Universe. At least that's what it felt like to me.
We decided to try to come off this wild pastoral high with a stroll around the Mall at Millenia, otherwise known as the Temple of the Gods Who Really Care About Things Like the New Collections of Prada and Juicy Couture. But wouldn't you know it, there was another pastor whom Mike was acquainted with right inside the entrance. He was ready to talk Easter, and of course that worked us all up again like hyper dogs who get to ride in the car to the park with the window down AND a Frisbee AND a new chew toy.
He asked us about our Easter first, and we contained ourselves as best we could as we described our day at the lake. And then we asked about his.
He hesitated a bit before he said, "Well, you know, it was Easter. All the visitors and new people unfortunately tend to come in and they drag the energy down. But it was good this year, because that didn't happen too much." The tone of his voice clearly finished this astonishing paragraph with the thought "Thank God they'll all be back at home next week."
?
All the new people unfortunately come in? They drag the energy down? What are you running, man? The University Club, or the Church of the Living God? Where do you get off not welcoming people into the body of Christ? Where does God give you the right to plan your worship without including a thought for those who don't know Him, and who may never know Him unless you wake up and use the one day you probably have this year to sift even a few of them out of the wilderness of their lives?
We didn't bother to ask him if what "didn't happen too much" was that he didn't have a lot of visitors, or that those visitors who did dare to come didn't bring their energy down. All I know is that Mike and I got into the church business because we believe that there's a God who cares about the new people, who said he came to seek and save the lost. I'm at a loss to explain what this pastor acquaintance is doing here at all.
Of course, now I'm more worked up than when I started.
We decided to try to come off this wild pastoral high with a stroll around the Mall at Millenia, otherwise known as the Temple of the Gods Who Really Care About Things Like the New Collections of Prada and Juicy Couture. But wouldn't you know it, there was another pastor whom Mike was acquainted with right inside the entrance. He was ready to talk Easter, and of course that worked us all up again like hyper dogs who get to ride in the car to the park with the window down AND a Frisbee AND a new chew toy.
He asked us about our Easter first, and we contained ourselves as best we could as we described our day at the lake. And then we asked about his.
He hesitated a bit before he said, "Well, you know, it was Easter. All the visitors and new people unfortunately tend to come in and they drag the energy down. But it was good this year, because that didn't happen too much." The tone of his voice clearly finished this astonishing paragraph with the thought "Thank God they'll all be back at home next week."
?
All the new people unfortunately come in? They drag the energy down? What are you running, man? The University Club, or the Church of the Living God? Where do you get off not welcoming people into the body of Christ? Where does God give you the right to plan your worship without including a thought for those who don't know Him, and who may never know Him unless you wake up and use the one day you probably have this year to sift even a few of them out of the wilderness of their lives?
We didn't bother to ask him if what "didn't happen too much" was that he didn't have a lot of visitors, or that those visitors who did dare to come didn't bring their energy down. All I know is that Mike and I got into the church business because we believe that there's a God who cares about the new people, who said he came to seek and save the lost. I'm at a loss to explain what this pastor acquaintance is doing here at all.
Of course, now I'm more worked up than when I started.
3 comments:
WHAT???? How sad!!! Even my Hindu raised husband left feeling inspired on Sunday and I over heard him telling not one but two friends how awesome "our" church is.....gives me chills just thinking about it.
Wow Kelly! That's awful! But I've gotta say that people can feel that sentiment walking into a church. We are so proud to be a part of Grace, no matter how small we are really "a part" right now, because of it's core values and mission.
Anyway, I love your blog. Your transparency is refreshing in a world filled with people trying to appear superhuman.
God is doing AMAZING miracles in our life right now and we are very hopeful to be back to attending church LIVE by the end of the year, hopefully sooner!
Megan Aldridge
Anyway, I love your blog. Your transparency is refreshing in a world filled with people trying to appear superhuman.
God is doing AMAZING miracles in our life right now and we are very hopeful to be back to attending church LIVE by the end of the year, hopefully sooner!
Megan Aldridge
I don't know about you but I wear my heart on my face so I would have had a hard time not letting my jaw hit the floor and having a look on my face that just says "WHAT!"
Props to you for not smacking him.
And many props for the awesome thing you did at Easter. I wish more churches would care enough to reach out as you did on Easter rather than consuming themselves with the "traditions" of the holiday.
Amber