Category: Uncategorized

The Church Doesn’t Owe Me

Leave a comment

A significant component of maturing in Christ, at least in the American Church, is realizing that the Church doesn’t owe me anything. I spent the better part of 2017-2020 reconciling myself to the revelation that as a member of the body of Christ, I am for serving the Church, not the Church for serving me.

The Church doesn’t owe me agreement with all my beliefs.
The Church doesn’t owe me cutting edge, or all the traditions I value. 
The Church doesn’t owe me showing up to all my important life events. 
The Church doesn’t owe me my favorite worship songs.
The Church doesn’t owe me a coffee shop, light show, or dynamic speakers. 
The Church doesn’t owe me a merch store or strong social media presence. 
The Church doesn’t owe me pristine facilities or a social events calendar.
The Church doesn’t owe me childcare, plush seating, or air conditioning. 
The Church doesn’t owe me comfortable or convenient. 

The Church is called to make disciples of Christ Jesus. Pure and simple. Though believers generationally and globally have often fallen short of this calling, maturing in Christ means I love His Bride, not for what she can do for me, or for what I believe I’m entitled to receive from her, but because He loves her. And in serving Him, I serve her. In loving her, I love myself.

I’ve been disappointed and deliberately hurt by Christians more times than I can count in my near 30 years as a member of the body of Christ. I’ve been a part of 7 congregations and 3 denominations in that time. There are no perfect congregants or congregations. If we err in dealing with the believer(s) in front of us, let us err on the side of love. I cannot profess to love Christ yet hate his Bride.

God, give each of us wisdom to contribute to the health, discipleship, Biblical integrity, and longevity of our congregations. They are for the healing of nations. 

This is my simple prayer: May my love for the Bride be patient and kind; may I not be envious of her or boast over her; may I not be arrogant or rude toward her. May I not insist on my own way; may I not be irritable or resentful toward her; May I not rejoice in her wrongdoing or wrongdoing committed toward her, but may I rejoice in Truth going forth from her. May I bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things with her. May my love for the Bride be without end.

Skipping Rocks

Leave a comment

My family spent a September week in the woods of Colorado. While hiking a trail around our cabin we came to a lovely river, water clear as glass, flowing over a bed of stones. We began to show the little ones among us how to toss the rocks and observe the splash. Of course, this evolved into a friendly competition of skipping rocks between my husband and brother-in-law.

I’ve walked many a shore watching my husband skip rocks. So much so that I’ve become his official rock finder. I don’t have a strong arm like my husband but I can find the best skipping rocks, flat and smooth.

As we walked the bank outside our cabin, I laid eyes on it, a beautiful white stone, flat, wide, and smooth. It was perfect. I reached down, pulled it from the cold earth and placed it in my husband’s ready hand. He immediately released it across the water.The stone skipped gracefully several times before finally splitting into the water’s surface and sinking lightening hard to the bottom. We collectively awed with approval. A perfect throw.

“Nettie’s rock and Tucker’s arm,” my brother-in-law cheered.

In that moment the Lord spoke to my heart, “your rock, My arm.”

Immediately, I recalled Peter professing the identity of Christ. Peter says, “you are the Christ”…to which Jesus responds, “flesh and blood didn’t reveal this to you, but the Spirit of God, and upon this rock (this revelation) I will build my church.”

As I am faithful to gather the word of God to my heart (a treasure hunt on the Lord’s shore) whether I feel like it or not, whether I have perfect understanding of it or not, He will, by His Spirit, bring revelation. And with His strong arm, He will propel me into growth by way of the rock of His revelation.

We so often over-complicate transformation by believing our weak effort alone will be enough, failing to understand it is “not by might, nor by power, but by [His] Spirit” that transformation occurs. I only need to provide the rock. By reading His word in the simple faith that it will not return void of power, you place a smooth stone in His hand, and it will accomplish in you and around you what it is released to do.