Expect more!

So I just had to share how much I love the Practicing Congregation!

I remember in Middle School that my parents talked about the kids in Confirmation class. The church was struggling over the fact that many of the kids came just for Confirmation, went to church at one of the Non-Denominational churches, and then never came back to our church after they finished Confirmation. Part of the discussion was the baffling fact (to most) that these large and growing NonDenom churches had such high expectations/requirements of the people that attended! I also remember working at a church in college and wondering why we make people take a pledge when they join, but do nothing to really hold them to that standard after they are in the church.

The dominant idea for years was put forth in 1972 by Dean Kelly in his book: Why Conservative Churches Are Growing. The conclusion was that Religiously demanding (aka strict) churches grow. Diana Butler Bass counters: "Kelley equated 'conservative' with 'demanding,' or religion that had to be engaged with rigor and purpose...No one expected that old mainline churches would - or could- ever reject the low-demand, establishment ethos of the early twentieth century." The point is that churches that focuses on an intentional faith are growing!

I love it! The studies seem to indicate what I've been feeling all along. Why don't we expect more, instead of less, from our congregation? from our new members? We seem to cheapen God's grace when we fit it neatly into our existing lives. "While still being politely mainline about it, they nevertheless 'demanded' certain things from their members - not in terms of doctrinal assent, but in terms of stewardship, spiritual growth, ministry, mission, and practice." !!!!! This is exactly what we need to be calling people to! This is exactly what we are called to!

1 Corinthians Part 1

So two great insights from my reading this evening. No relation other than they are both from the Epistle of 1 Corinthians.

The first insight is in 1 Corinthians 10:13b. The Bible says "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide for you a way out so that you may endure it." -- Previous to this the first part of this quote has been used in my life. As in: God won't test you beyond your strength. But that interpretation begs the question of honest, good, everyday Christians who are not able to endure sufferings but actually do break under them. They are crushed by death, unfairness, change, etc. These seem to contradict each other.

The point isn't that our trials can't crush us if we're good Christians. The point is that God will "provide for you a way out so that you may endure it." Somehow in our trying times there is a way to shift so that we can endure.

It isn't necessarily obvious or natural. It takes the eyes to see, perhaps the training to perceive, perhaps the assistance from good friends. If we are not looking, we may cling militantly to our trials hoping to endure. It is not always just our steadfastness, but also our willingness to see the way out, or I might say forward or toward comfort, that allows us to endure trials in Christ.

The second insight is more academic and it's late, so good night and God bless :)

Growing Through Brokenness

I'm not sure how well this fits in as lessons I'm learning, but probably is an area where God is going to be working on me.

I'm in two classes this semester that are challenging me. One is Leading Formation. This past week I stopped reading because I was upset. It brought up all these old hurts and tied them nicely to the present. Instead of helping me heal the past, and distance it from the present, it made me feel like the person I was back then. I felt very vulnerable in class today and I'm not sure where this vulnerability will lead. I want to leave myself open to God challenging me, but dang it hurts.
Then there's my Gospels in a Consumer Culture class. I'm really looking forward to it, but I also know that it's going to make me intentionally examine my relationship to a consumer culture. I may have to change because of it. I've had several experiences in the past that have almost led to change in this regard, I partly hope and partly fear that conviction that I feel may be coming from this class.

So overall, the last couple of days have left me feeling like this semester may be more challenging than I had planned. Not that you plan the kind of growth that breaks you open at your weak points and forces you to rearrange the pieces as you heal. I guess my hope is that I can trust in God to bring me through the process completely. I don't want to get stuck in the middle without a good healing process.