One of the people I’ve come across on this Christian journey gave me the impression that his early spiritual development was on his own – it was just him and the Holy Spirit – not other influences, just him, the Spirit and his Bible.
That came across to me at the time as rather intimidating. Here was I, brought up in the church, parents as church people, key people being church people, being given the church line on everything and seemingly not as spiritual as this super-spiritual guy.
To be fair to the dude, he never set himself up as that. He was just being honest in how things started off for him. That is not to say that is how it should be for others.
From my parent’s faith, I have gradually grown into a faith of my own, if you will. A faith and a journey with Jesus for which I take responsibility, even if it’s not everything that originated in me (or indeed needed to originate in me). In as much as I take responsibility for the journey, it has been one that continues to be influenced by other brothers and sisters on the journey as well as some not on the journey but who are used to still have a bearing on it.
Some of the brethren have been in my immediate social circle and others are far away. Some are young and vibrant, others have been long dead for decades or centuries. I’ve taken on these influences and I’d like to believe allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me in seeing where Jesus is leading to get to know Him, love Him and grow to become like Him. That is not a straightforward journey and full of wrong turns and frightening realisations, but here I am with a fundamental desire to be every pleasing to my Lord and Saviour.
Yesterday I shared my first foray into a regular church service as the first step into some level of regular attendance for something like 18 months. I need to be clear, though. In as much as the church is a Baptist church and I have some good friends who are Baptists (a bit like the old ‘some are my best friends are black’ argument that people give as a precursor to a racist statement), I am not a Baptist and the deal is not to become a Baptist. Indeed even in attending, the end goal is not to wind up again in some activity/institutionally driven church.
At present in me journey, I am convicted that many of the ways of being church that I am accustomed to are traditional. They are either not biblically centred or require severe distortion of scripture and a blatant ignorance of Jesus’ mission and fulfilment to let them stand. I don’t have all the answers and am still very much interested in the conversation around the different ways in which we express church. I’d like to think I haven’t thrown out the baby with the bathwater in the changes and transitions that I evidently need to take. I am not of the mind that those from my church tradition are in anyway inferior or ignorant, so to speak. I am just of a growing persuasion (yeah, go on then, conviction), that Jesus’ call on life individually and corporately demands more and demands something different.
Currently the arguments for organic/house church (they are not the same thing, but I’m sticking them together for the time being) are persuasive, but even beyond this that conversation that I was talking about concerning how we are church challenges me to pursue that which God is suggesting is something more and the something different.
I am in a different place church-wise now than I was in 2008 and 2009. I pray by the grace of God that I’m in a different place should my life be spared at the end of 2011. I know there is something more and something different awaiting and I’m excited to plunge into what that will be. By I – I include me wife and children. Authrine, especially, has a fascinating story to tell of how she’s making progress in where God is leading her, so it makes it great fun for the both of us. By fun, of course, I’m not talking of the theme-park variety of fun!
You’ll notice on the list of recommended blogs that the guys I read up on come from a far more advanced position of seeking true New Testament Church and I thank guys like Alan Knox, Lionel Woods and Arthur Sido for their insightful posts that continue to challenge any follower into what it is to pursue Jesus individually and in community. Want to also hail up in particular a new guy on that list, one Eric Carpenter whose blog I was referred to from one of the three I’ve mentioned (more likely than not the sage owl Knox) very recently. Reading Eric’s material and just checking his story has been incredible for me and I look forward to reading more about what he and his family are going through.
I’m not looking to imitate these guys – they’re all different, thankfully and more importantly they are all American. Nothing against Americans! (You know the rest of the usual precursor of a racist statement regarding best friends, etc.) I am looking to forge my way through what Jesus wants me to and these gentlemen are like the blogging irons that sharpen me iron and get me excited about the chaps I’m about to meet on this side of the pond who will help me explore further what Jesus desires in His bride.
So, just to let you know where the whole church thing fits into things at present.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 
Hello my brother it’s been a while since we had a chat. I was challenged by one of my 13 year old sons a couple of weeks back when he said his favourite scripture speaks about how our works will be judged very sobering. Sometimes we wonder so much what we should be doing and neglecting the very talents placed with in us we will be certainly called to account in how we have put are talents to work. And yes it is also a challenge as to the context has to where these talents should be outspends but we are meant to have faith to move mountains so surely we are meant to be achieving more than we are. Father forgive us when we procrastinate and become useless and ineffectual Lord help us to fan into flame that which you have placed within us!!!!!
Amen to that, Paul – amen to that. Thanks for the visit.