Ministry Opportunity

Okay, obviously, I am a terrible blogger. I don't care. This current entry is really just something I needed to jot down, so jot I will.

Throughout my seven years of college, one year of residency, and whatever I've been doing for the last half year or so (so get that, approx. 8.5 years total) I have lived in 9 different houses/apartments (yes, including my parent's house) in 6 different cities. The shortest amount of time being about 4 months (excluding my parent's house on summer breaks) and the longest being about a year and a half. Well, technically I suppose the shortest is the one I'm currently living in, seeing as I just moved in last weekend. So 8 days. Whatever.  The point is, I get around (haha).

So what does all that moving around have to do with anything? Well, it means that I also have tried a lot of different churches. And have been the "new person" at each of them. Not only am I just the "new person" but I'm a single new person. I don't know if it feels differently trying out a new church with someone else (ie. your significant other and/or your family), but I'm guessing it's nice to at least be able to sit by someone you know who will talk to you (provided you're not on the receiving end of "the silent treatment" from a recent dispute...).

Anyhow, from this viewpoint, as a single, 20-something, Christian woman who has attended numerous churches without knowing anyone, I'm seeing a missed ministry opportunity. And it's quite the gaping hole.

Before I lay it out, I first want to say that yes, as a Christian who gets the system, should it have been my responsibility to jump in, head first, into a church I barely knew in order to find a community to thrive in and give back to? Maybe, maybe not. Regardless of your opinion on that subject, I decided to use this time to be an observer of the system as it exists today (especially since I knew that I would be moving, yet again, relatively shortly). Take the role of "newbie" and wear it at each new church and see where the gaps are in how churches welcome new people. And I will admit, that sometimes this was hard and challenging to not have a local community. Take note, I wasn't doing this for the entirety of the last 8.5 years, but for a decent portion, especially once the city-jumping started happening more frequently.

So what have I observed in my time as the newbie to church?

Pros

• People are very good at smiling at the entrances to doors
• People are quite excellent at handing me things
• People are great at being polite
• Old people have been the best at starting conversations with me

Cons

• No one ever asked me to spend time with them outside of church
• No one asked me to come to a specific small group with them (if I put out a lot of effort, for a new person at least, I would be told about a small group or given a handout...and then expected to show up at some stranger's house, once again, by myself)
• No one asked for my phone number (except for those communication cards...which are really easy to leave out information on upon filling them out)
• The only people I sat next to directly side-by-side were because the church was filling up and running out of seats
• Churches really do talk about money quite frequently (not something that bothers me, as it is an important part of life, but I know that it bothers some people)

So what? Who cares about all my griping? Well, I have been taught that when I point out a problem, I should also be prepared with a suggestion to help improve or solve the problem. It doesn't have to be a perfect solution, but griping alone really doesn't do much for anyone. So I'm going to make some suggestions and maybe try to implement them in whatever church I get involved in, now that I'm in a town where I will hopefully be putting down roots for a good portion of time. (You never know, though)

The greeters at the door of the church have been fabulous...at saying hello and smiling. I'm thinking there could be a tad more to that particular "job."  When they say hello and notice that someone is seems to be new (single, couple, family, whatever), instead of just waving them in through the doors, find out a tiny bit about them. Then, direct them to...

DUN DUN DUN!

A new friend! Yes, a real, actual person who wants to get to know them! Sounds cheesy, maybe, but I think it could be doable. Nearby to the greeters, have a group of people who know the church pretty well and the people in it. The greeter can then introduce, let's say...a 30ish single dad, to one of the men of the group who has kids (or doesn't, whatever). But the kicker is that this man would then spend the rest of the morning (oh goodness, a whole 70-90 minutes) chatting with the new guy, exchanging numbers, setting up a time to actually get coffee together during the week.  Would this mean that he might not get to sit with his wife or family? Yes (or go sit with them, I don't care...as long as you engage the new guy!) But let's be honest, is Sunday morning really about you? Looking as good as you can with your happy little family and being perfect? Or is it about God?

Now, I'm not saying that this group of friend-makers has to be the same people every week. I'm also not saying that this is how to catch new people and keep them in the church. But I am seeing it as an opportunity to reach out to people. People who really just might want a friend. And guess what...when they make a new friend...so do you. Or maybe you start talking and realize that neither of you have much in common. Well, that's okay, because I'm guessing you know a few people in the church who might have more in common with them. And guess what!! You can set them up to be friends. It's okay to do that! This world is a hodge podge of people and you're not going to mesh perfectly with all of them. But you can try. I'm not saying you'll spend the rest of your lives with them. All I'm asking for is 70-90 minutes (or however long your church service goes). And then coffee (unless you live somewhere other than the Pacific Northwest...then maybe try...oh I don't know, tea and crumpets). Who knows, you could end up with a new best friend...

**Disclaimer** I have no idea if this idea is feasible or not. Or how well it would play out. And yes, I know that it's harder than the current system. But the current system also doesn't really work to accomplish anything. So it's worth a try, right?

I'll Go

This song is very applicable right now.  I keep forgetting.

Over the past couple months and over the next couple months I will be preparing for another change.  This time from residency to a job I will likely keep for *hopefully* awhile.

It feels like a big deal and life-changing.  Like this job and its location will determine the remainder of my steps on this earth.

But God is bigger than this and He is in control.  So it really shouldn't be as big of a deal as I'm making it.  And I will follow Him.

My verse for 2014

Romans 11:36

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

My verse for 2014.

All things are from Him.  Everything:  good and bad, easy and difficult, minute and life-changing.

All things are through Him.  All of my accomplishments.  All of my shortcomings.  All of my ideas, epiphanies, and dreams.  Not a single one of them is mine.

And all things are to Him.  Everything that I do, I do to His glory.  Everything that I do is an account to His greatness.  The summation of every single decision I make in life, good, bad, or just plain stupid, screams His name in the end.

So how do I incorporate this verse into my life in a meaningful way for 2014?  I think that it will start with furthering my trust in Him.  And chipping away at my pride.  It needs it.

God, from you, through you, and to you.  Instead of me pretending that my 2014 is mine, help me to recognize and remember the truth that it is fully and completely yours.  I am yours.

Inspiration, Aspiration, and Procrastination

I know that in some previous post I mentioned that I don't want to be in a relationship because I'm being selfish.  Selfish of my time, emotions, etc., etc.  But today, God made it apparent to me that there's more to my selfishness than that.  For some reason, I was only applying my selfishness to the "romantic" area of my life (or lack thereof).  But it is much, much bigger than that.

I am selfish of my time, emotions, energy, strength, comfort, care, and resources in all of my relationships.  All of them.  Even the ones that don't exist because I haven't taken the time to pursue them.  Ouch.

Entering into relationships, I need to remove the me-goggles that I have put on and allow Christ to be my eyes.  He does see things much more clearly than I do, after all.  The me-goggles that I have had pressed tightly to my face are cloudy and, get this, have a shiny coating that simply reflects myself.  I don't see the people around me.  I don't see their needs or their heart-desires.  I've been lost in the reflection of my own eyes, peering into my own wants, desires, and self-pity.

NO!  I am choosing to tear these goggles off and throw them far from myself!  The cool air and bright day may initially cause me to squint or tears to well.  But it is good.  The fresh air will soon be refreshing; the light revealing of beauty previously lost upon me.

I have been especially selfish of my time.  For whatever reason, God has chosen to use me in relationships.  I don't know how, when, or why, but He chooses to bless others through me.  And I can't help but worship Him.  He has put me in specific roles in the lives of others and it astonishes me how much he can do through this broken vessel.

But what have I been doing?  Seeing relationships as mine.  No.  I need to change this.  The relationships I am blessed to take part in are not for me.  They are for Him.  His glory.  And I need to see each person just as He sees them.  With love and compassion.  With a heart to serve them in any way possible.  With each relationship, I should be asking questions:  How can I bless this person?  God, what would you have me say to them?  How can I show them your unending, heart-wrenching, glory-revealing love?  And follow these questions closely with, Lord, use me.

Over the years, I have become a master of procrastination.  A common phrase that has left my lips (even today), is this:  If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute.  What does this say of me and how I have been treating my Lord?

Of the many things of this life, I find myself valuing my time higher than many other things.  Time is a gift.  A precious commodity that He has entrusted me to use wisely and invest.  And I simply bury it away, never to be recovered, as I waste time in idleness.  I procrastinate on studying, projects, and papers by zipping around on the internet, poking around cable television, or even just sitting on the couch like a schlub.  These things are effectively destroying His gift.  A gift that is not only intended for me; but even more for the people I should be with.  Not that the internet, television, or resting are wrong in and of themselves, but for me, in the setting of procrastination, they are.

If I didn't have those projects or papers, would I have been spending that time doing those things?  Perhaps.  But I absolutely wouldn't spend nearly as much time on them.  I would be out and about with people.  Being active and/or engaging my mind with my friends and family.  Because I love people.  I really do.  But when I procrastinate, I am selfishly choosing to waste the future time in which I could have been a blessing to others.

I need to change.  I will change.  God, work this in me.

I will aspire to be the woman described in Psalm 31.  Not for me.  Not because I want to lure in a man.  Because my Lord craves this identity for me.  He has placed her within me and I have been shoving her to the side, occasionally letting glimpses show, but never a full view.

God, I want to be a blessing to every person I interact with on every level.  Give me the perseverance to become strong and healthy.  Fill my mouth with your words of wisdom, compassion, and kindness.  And Lord, raise me up to defeat the monster of idleness that I have allowed into my life.  Guide me as I learn the art of defending myself from the jaws that I have allowed to ensnare me.  I am yours, God.

Phone Jots 2

Another edition of phone jots!  Just when you totally and completely forgot about the first one...probably a year and a half ago.

Anyhow.  I have a new phone since the last edition.  Which means completely new jots!

• When God provides us with symbols or metaphors, they are dumbed down versions of difficult-to-grasp concepts.  He calls us "the body of Christ."  The human body is incredibly complex--so how much more complex is the body He has placed us in...
• Someday, when I have a family and I am raising children, I would like us to pray for one person at dinner.  As a way to emphasize the importance of intercessory prayer and reinforce it in my kids.
• Regarding feelings:  when we "feel" something it can be one of two types, heart feelings (because the Lord holds our hearts) and flesh feelings. And we use the same word to describe them because they feel so similar because Satan is a great deceiver!  Let's be honest, he isn't referred to as "the mediocre deceiver," right?

Not as many as I thought, but I also didn't post some of the more random jots (like a flower I noticed I liked or an idea I had for a book--can't be posting that on the interwebs!)

Happy Halloween, all!