I went back to my home church Saturday. I was invited to speak in both morning services about "how North Terrace short term mission trips changed my life."
My general philosophy of living is becoming more and more divergent from this church, and there's a lot of bitching I could do about materialism, america worship, and country-clubish-ness that I'm going to put aside to tell you this:
God used North Terrace to teach me what it means to make disciples. Sunday was the yearly missions rally and it was a great reminder of everything that the church is doing right. Multiple generations of people who have grown up at North Terrace and gone into full time ministry were represented. It was beautiful. My friend Michael preached and my friend Jessie was there representing a Christian school. Michael and I especially could easily point to mission committee members or missionaries present who had intentionally given us opportunities to feel out what we thought God was calling us to vocationally. Our church has an overall philosophy of "you think you could do this? Let's talk about it and then find a way for you to try it!"
I only spoke for about 4 minutes in each service about my experiences and what I'm up to now, but still, over a dozen people came up to me later just to tell me that they were proud of me. It didn't even feel a little patronizing and the more I think about it, the more I realize it's because the church made an investment in me and my friends. They're proud of what I'm doing and they own it because any ministry I have is fruit of the ministry they had with me first.
I also got to see my brother coach his son in a 7th grade football game. Drew looks like a half size version of Lee and acts like it, too. It's good to see my brother turn out to be a good dad.
On Sunday, I picked peppers out of my parent's garden with my brother Charlie and his daughters. They're beautiful and he looks at them in a way he doesn't look at anyone else.
It was good to be home.
2 comments:
Good post. Yea, over the years (and maybe this is the pastor in me) I think it is unreasonable to think that every local congregation does everything well -- all things to all people. But you are right... I have found that most congregations have those things that they do right. And God uses that. I grew up in a congregation that is so far from where I am now... and I could make a long list of everything they did wrong, but they loved the socks off me and partially formed who I am.
Your picking peppers... for some reason I though you were talking about like nieces, or your parents grandkids. "They're beautiful and he looks at them in a way he doesn't look at anyone else." It was on second read that I got the pepper thing. funny!
I meant my brother looks at his daughters in a really neat way--you know, the look on his face is pure joy.
I think I made a bad sentence.
Post a Comment