The path to Christian maturity February 11, 2008
Posted by Karen Joy in Christian Living, Christianity, God/Christianity/Church, Introspective Musings, Memories, Vineyard Phoenix.trackback
I like my church.
I love it, in fact.
However, when I first married into it, thirteen years ago, I couldn’t wait to leave. It seemed like there were so many bigger, better, smarter, more relevant things to do with my Christianity than waste my time at Podunk Christian Fellowship*. Truly. My pastor, Dennis Bourns, looks like Homer Simpson. And much of his learning had come from books, which led to a wide vocabulary of frequently-mispronounced words. To someone with a minor obsession with the English language, that was beyond irksome. I’d come from a large, truly “up and coming” Vineyard, where the pastor, Brian Anderson (whom I remember with great fondness), was more of a teaching-pastor than a preacher, very well-spoken and almost suave. Dennis is… fiery. His preaching/teaching style has remnants of his Baptist upbringing which made me a little uncomfortable. Perhaps more than just me feel that discomfort, because the church was fairly small. (It’s now around 300 people, but back then, it was even smaller, maybe 150 or so.)
So, how’d I get from Pastor=Homer to Pastor=Beloved??
Much of it can be found here, in the teaching Dennis gave yesterday morning. It’s part of a fairly new series of his, on the purpose of the Church. The text is from one of the most meaty (in my opinion) passages of Scripture, Ephesians 4:11-14. The micro-version of this message is that a route (perhaps the only route??) to real Christian maturity is found within the Body of Christ, within the local church. I have found that to be true. Within the church, I have been challenged, I have been loved, I have been held accountable, I have been stretched, I have been honored, I have been disciplined (gently), I have been rewarded, I have learned, I have served, I have been served. I have grown.
Not that I have attained that “mature (woman), to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.” In fact, last week I made an awful choice, verbally biting into someone who was frustrating me, and I really, really wounded her, and “I’m so sorry” just isn’t cutting it; the relationship may be damaged permanently.
But. When I read posts like this, where my Uncle Steve is longing for the real Church, wondering why she’s gone so astray, and when I talk with a dear friend whose family has had an absolutely awful time trying to find a church to call home, I find myself internally gloating** immensely thankful for my church, and for what I’ve learned there, from “Homer.”
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* It’s actually Vineyard Phoenix.
** I’m TOTALLY kidding.
Isn’t it great to be in a functional church? I LOVE my church. Mr. N and I have grown so much since we’ve been there. The pastor preaches from God’s word, and sometimes it’s painful, but I always leave the service with the impression that God is going to continue to help me become the godly woman he intends. I know that our church is healthy because of the godly leadership.
YOu are fortunate to have such a long-term relationship with your church and that it has been a place of maturing for you. I was teary this Sat eve because I attend a solid church that is huge and I can come and go unnoticed. I have two friendships there but no one really in my life. I can attend, have a great time with Jesus, fill the coffee supplies (my job) and go home full of God but empty of relationships. Granted, I am an introvert, not the life of the party. I am ministry minded, I want to pray for people and see them walk with God. Last weekend I “happened to” sit next to a homeschool mom of 6 and when we talked a bit she burst into tears about how overwhelmed she felt. Well, I have felt that too and I was able to pray with her. I did not get her name, she lives 20 miles away, and I may not see her soon since we have three services. That meeting was God. I know this is the church for us. Relationships are just plain tricky and difficult. There, I said it.
edited to add: My comments sound snarky and I do not intend. I have been frustrated about this for a bit. The body of Christ should be all that you have listed, yet, unless people get real, none of that will happen. We can live our Christian lives at home, in private and isolated. I have tried to reach out to mature women for mentoring and it has just not worked out. That does not mean it never will. You are blessed in this area and I am happy for you. Forgive my tone, please.
That’s so refreshing to hear. You are so blessed. It’s funny, I’ve had similar feelings going to smaller churches after growing up in a mega-church.
We have just started attending a church (a few months ago) that we’re really getting plugged into … and we LOVE it. This is the first time I’ve been excited about going to church in a while. I hope I can follow in your footsteps of plugging in, learning, growing and serving. It’s high time I did.
Lisa ~ You don’t sound snarky at all!!! Is the church you’re referring to the one you brought me to? That’s wonderful that you have a job there, now.
For a long, long time — at least three years, I think — I felt completely like you did. It wasn’t the people in the church, it was just like I felt like the left pinkie toe. Everyone seemed to be friends w/ each other, everyone seemed to know more than me, to be more mature, to be actual “grown ups.” If Martin hadn’t been in committed service there (as the worship leader), I know I would have left. I think it wasn’t until Ethan was born and I had a ton of people show up to the hospital, and to my baby shower (which was after he was born; he was early) that I realized that people actually cared about me. Still. It was a tough row to hoe for much of the time, and I feel like a lot of my current satisfaction and fruitfulness came from simply not giving up.
In my experience, it’s a lot like marriage. You spend a lot of time in toil and doing the “right thing” before it feels comfortable and easier and fruitful. Then, the fruit is that much sweeter, because you’ve worked hard for it.
So, please, don’t give up. That is a GREAT church, with great worship, and really solid teaching… Even if you feel alone, still, it seems to me like God is giving you glimpses into a time in the (hopefully not-so-distant) future when you’ll really feel like a complete, vital part of that part of the Body of Christ. Places to serve, places to minister — even if it doesn’t seem like “enough” now, I am completely confident that you being faithful in the small things will really reap a harvest of blessings. Don’t give up, OK??????
Thanks!! I read that post you referenced, plus comments and I am sending it to my husband. Off to piano..it is snowy and 26 degrees…
Karen, I’m not even sure what I want to say but I wanted to say something. This is a great, thought provoking post. There are some churches doing what they are supposed to do but so many are not anymore. It sounds like you definitely have the former. The latter is what we’ve mostly found.
I’ve got a lot of thoughts jumbled around in my head so I think I’m going to take some time and think through them and write out a post. You and my husband have both given me some food for thought today.
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