I'm still walking around in kind of a fog. Sunday was very awkward and difficult, but I do believe grace was having the last word, which was beautiful.
A lot of feelings to unpack. I'll try to do some unpacking here, but for whatever reason the one thing I'm thinking about now is the new family that was there to witness our...umm...stuff. (Actually, they weren't totally new; the guy had sporadically attended Solid Rock a number of years ago). I wished I was able to grab them after the service.
In talking about this family, someone remarked, "well, we know they'll never come back."
Maybe so. Who knows what they were looking for, but my immediate reaction was that I would certainly consider coming back if I was looking for a church for my family, a healthy church in particular.
One judges a church (or a person) by watching their reaction not to good news, but bad (see Job). A healthy church is one that navigates through difficult waters, not perfectly, not "sexily" (forgive me Keri), but with eyes looking to Jesus and a heart full of grace. This is what was unfolded on Sunday.
During our worship service, the new family saw:
1. A pastor who loves his people.
2. A people who love their pastor.
3. A united leadership team determined to keep pointing to Jesus.
4. Grace in action.
I believe the new couple experienced the true spirit of Solid Rock, and the true Spirit of Jesus on Sunday. I think they saw something real, something healthy. To me, I'd rather have that than smoke machines during worship and cappichinos served after the service.
Sunday was so incredibly painful for me, yet at the same time, I found it refreshing and "kingdom-ish".
No, I was not ashamed at all to have guests visiting us last Sunday. I hope to see them this Sunday.
more to come.....
grace & blessings,
pjim
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I admit, I felt like I was in a fog all day Sunday. On my way home I asked the Lord to help us heal and unite all of the people in our church. I LOVE Solid Rock's members, they are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and help each other whenever there is a need. I will say that Pastor Jim and Keri have always felt like they were (and are) the heart of all of this love. Always thoughtful and respectful of what Jesus would say or do, as they encourage a be navigate through tough times as well as the good.
ReplyDeletePastor suggested I should check out his blog because I have invited a family to visit us this Sunday. They are a young family with 2 children, looking for a church family that will help them to continue growing in their walk with the Lord. We have a strong Christian Family Base, with knowledgable and wise leaders. I am excited for having the opportunity to see our family continue to grow, even in seemingly tough times.