Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

Stinkin love that Journey song. “Troubled times. Caught between confusion and pain, and pain, and pain.” I hope you know it. And, I hope you are singing along—off key, preferably! As for me, I feel as though the American consumer church and I have gone separate ways. And, it has been one of the most confusing and painful things I have ever done. I once heard a great sermon called ‘Separating Faith,’ and the speaker talked about how sometimes God will separate us from people, movements, etc., if He sees them as a hindrance to our commitment to fully follow God. The speaker used the story of Abraham and Lot separating in Genesis 13. For the record, I think Lot gets a bad name most of the time, but we forget or don’t understand the culture of his day. The norm, if you will. Lot was a righteous man (2 Peter 2:6-8), he was just a little too easily swayed by culture and his seeming desire for things. I mean who wouldn’t want the lush valley? Or pretty stained glass building? I feel like the same can be said for the typical American church. It is just immersed in its own culture at this point. The separation has been painful. But in the last few months, I have come to realize that this separation is not a time of mourning (although that has been my choosing), but a time of celebration and thankfulness. Had there not be a separation, I would still be immersed in the culture. I would feel the pressure to perform. To count people. To feed consumers. I would not be overwhelmed with the urgency to teach the people of God to simply be the people of God. I would be enticed by money, because our buildings and salaries would require it. The undercurrent has always been there for me, but as is typical, it took an immense shift for me to put words to it and legs under it. Thank you to Jesus for loving me enough to fight for me and to allow pain to shape me. Thank you for giving my husband the talent of making tents so that we can live on mission. Your mission. So now, I have joined a new church. The Bride of Christ. I do not profess to have this all figured out. It seems that I have received the ‘why’ first, and I pray the ‘how’ is quick to follow.

“Someday love will find you. Break those chains that bind you.”