The Great Reversal
So our oldest, Jackson, turned four this weekend. For his party we decided to go to Peanut Island, which is a public park in the middle of the Intracostal near Palm Beach Inlet. Obviously, the only way there is by boat so our family and a few friends converged there via an assortment of watercraft.
The party was great - hotdogs, hamburgers, squirt guns for the kids, dads trying to get charcoal lit, moms passing around Baby Hudson like he was a football. An interesting realization hit me about halfway through the party as I was flipping burgers. No one there with the exception of myself, Amber, and her parents were "church people". I'm looking at these friends celebrating Jackson's birthday and thinking to myself, "How did this happen?" Five years ago, our life revolved almost exclusively around church people. At that point in my life, I was clueless how to relate to anyone outside of that context, almost to the extent of being fearful and avoiding social situations where unchurched people would be present. I now know that the fear was not fear of having to talk about God or reveal I was a Christian. The fear was having to explain and reconcile my life and activities within church. It was, quite literally, a seperate world and I was a seperate person. How do you explain to someone that you spend four or five nights a week away from home each week - small group, worship practice, leadership meeting, facility work day, men's meeting, etc. etc. etc? I might as well have been carrying a big sign around my neck that read, "I don't have time for you."
Time. Isn't it wonderful to have time to just be with people? Time is what enables us to grasp the enormity of God calling a person into relationship and into his family. Without time, every person we encounter is either a project or a resource.
I still struggle with learning my place in God's great mission to the world as an agent of reconciliation. How do I fit in with what he is doing? It's a hard question sometimes. But at least now my life is becoming more of a seamless whole (for better or worse, because I can be a real jerk sometimes) and I no longer fear social situations with unchurched people. In fact, I kind of like them now.
Note to all you local church friends, I love spending time with all of you as well, of course. In fact, I think this "reversal" allows me to actually be with you in a more real way. You don't get the "church Mike" anymore. You get Mike, again - for better or worse:)
The party was great - hotdogs, hamburgers, squirt guns for the kids, dads trying to get charcoal lit, moms passing around Baby Hudson like he was a football. An interesting realization hit me about halfway through the party as I was flipping burgers. No one there with the exception of myself, Amber, and her parents were "church people". I'm looking at these friends celebrating Jackson's birthday and thinking to myself, "How did this happen?" Five years ago, our life revolved almost exclusively around church people. At that point in my life, I was clueless how to relate to anyone outside of that context, almost to the extent of being fearful and avoiding social situations where unchurched people would be present. I now know that the fear was not fear of having to talk about God or reveal I was a Christian. The fear was having to explain and reconcile my life and activities within church. It was, quite literally, a seperate world and I was a seperate person. How do you explain to someone that you spend four or five nights a week away from home each week - small group, worship practice, leadership meeting, facility work day, men's meeting, etc. etc. etc? I might as well have been carrying a big sign around my neck that read, "I don't have time for you."
Time. Isn't it wonderful to have time to just be with people? Time is what enables us to grasp the enormity of God calling a person into relationship and into his family. Without time, every person we encounter is either a project or a resource.
I still struggle with learning my place in God's great mission to the world as an agent of reconciliation. How do I fit in with what he is doing? It's a hard question sometimes. But at least now my life is becoming more of a seamless whole (for better or worse, because I can be a real jerk sometimes) and I no longer fear social situations with unchurched people. In fact, I kind of like them now.
Note to all you local church friends, I love spending time with all of you as well, of course. In fact, I think this "reversal" allows me to actually be with you in a more real way. You don't get the "church Mike" anymore. You get Mike, again - for better or worse:)
posted by Mike Bishop at 7:26 AM
2 Comments:
This is what it means to be "in" the world but not "of" it. Awesome insight. I like the truth that Jesus didn't see people as projects or resources, but instead sought to truly enter our world. Salt doesn't really do anygood to other salt when it sits in a container, but when it is sprinkled on things other than salt, watch out.
Thanks Mike. This is good good stuff. very helpful and very much about what I'm learning (or trying to learn). +++ Lord have mercy +++
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