Thursday, March 08, 2012
We're all perfect... unless we're all messed up.
I grew up in a church enviornment where no one really talked about faith struggles. It was as if we were all perfect. I can remember when divorce was a bad word and you really became a second class citizen should that happen in your family. No one confessed sin, you just checked a box on a card that said "confess sins".
It even seemed like our doctrine and theology was perfect. We had all the answers, or at least certainly knew where all the answers were.
And of course it was misleading. We may have just been good at hiding things. So I wonder how many people were afraid to be real with their struggles because they were not "perfect" and everyone else seemed to be.
We are not like that now. In fact, I sometimes think everyone at church today is all messed up. I hear us talking about how we are all wounded, weak, and struggling. I think that message is a little decieving too. In fact, if not careful we give the impression that God wants a church full of messed up people.
I think God wants a church full of healed people. It's not OK to be a church that acts like everyone is perfect when we know we're not. It's also not OK to be a church where everyone is messed up and that's fine.
I like churches that communicate that they are a place for messed up people... who do not stay messed up. We are a place of healing. I like churches with leaders who have scars, who can say "we were messed up, but now we are healed." Not sure I want a church whose leaders never had a mess, or one who has leaders who are all messed up.
But I belong to a fellowship that goes from one extreme to another. Fifty years ago it was act perfect. Now it is celebrate your mess.
So maybe we can invite the wounded, messed up, and bleeding people of this world into our community of faith. Not because we are perfect. Or because we are all messed up. But because we are being healed by Jesus. And they can be too.
So I want Southern Hills to be known as the place where messed up people go. But if they want to stay messed up, I hope they get uncomfortable quickly. We're not perfect. But we do have a lot of healed, forgiven, restored lives who are doing well. Come if you are a mess. Leave if you want to stay a mess.
Thanks God for being the great fixer of our messes.
It even seemed like our doctrine and theology was perfect. We had all the answers, or at least certainly knew where all the answers were.
And of course it was misleading. We may have just been good at hiding things. So I wonder how many people were afraid to be real with their struggles because they were not "perfect" and everyone else seemed to be.
We are not like that now. In fact, I sometimes think everyone at church today is all messed up. I hear us talking about how we are all wounded, weak, and struggling. I think that message is a little decieving too. In fact, if not careful we give the impression that God wants a church full of messed up people.
I think God wants a church full of healed people. It's not OK to be a church that acts like everyone is perfect when we know we're not. It's also not OK to be a church where everyone is messed up and that's fine.
I like churches that communicate that they are a place for messed up people... who do not stay messed up. We are a place of healing. I like churches with leaders who have scars, who can say "we were messed up, but now we are healed." Not sure I want a church whose leaders never had a mess, or one who has leaders who are all messed up.
But I belong to a fellowship that goes from one extreme to another. Fifty years ago it was act perfect. Now it is celebrate your mess.
So maybe we can invite the wounded, messed up, and bleeding people of this world into our community of faith. Not because we are perfect. Or because we are all messed up. But because we are being healed by Jesus. And they can be too.
So I want Southern Hills to be known as the place where messed up people go. But if they want to stay messed up, I hope they get uncomfortable quickly. We're not perfect. But we do have a lot of healed, forgiven, restored lives who are doing well. Come if you are a mess. Leave if you want to stay a mess.
Thanks God for being the great fixer of our messes.
Comments:
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"But I belong to a fellowship that goes from one extreme to another. Fifty years ago it was act perfect. Now it is celebrate your mess."
Are you serious? Is Southern Hills really a 'celebrate your mess' church? I never experienced that when I was there.
I wonder why you are still an elder there. How can you let this happen to that church? I wish you would do more than just blog about your issues with your church.
Are you serious? Is Southern Hills really a 'celebrate your mess' church? I never experienced that when I was there.
I wonder why you are still an elder there. How can you let this happen to that church? I wish you would do more than just blog about your issues with your church.
# posted by 
: 7:53 AM PDT
: 7:53 AM PDT
Steve, I have just stumbled across your blog, and I want to give you some encouragement after seeing the kinds of comments you receive on here. First of all, I have already been uplifted and encouraged by your blog entries. You are insightful and honest, refreshingly so! I think you have really shed light on some issues not just in Southern Hills, but also in the church as a whole.
Christian faith often, and often unfortunately, echoes the culture around it. If you study history, you see cultures, and faiths, swing back and forth on a pendulum of liberalism/emotionalism to conservatism/stoicism. Neither are inherently bad, but each has potential to be extreme. It simply is our human nature to swing from one extreme to another over time, be it politically, culturally, or spiritually. We are dualistic. We are at odds with ourselves, and we are not perfect.
Enter Holy and Awesome Jesus! How wonderful we are saved by His grace!
So my point, of course things have changed over time in the church, and neither the church of the past nor the church of the present is perfect. But BOTH were and are filled with people who love Christ. And its okay if you take a moment to comment on what you see going on!
Steve, please keep blogging. And blog not only on the wonderful insights you have on family, marriage, and raising children, but blog about the tough stuff of the church. You've got amazing insight there too. And despite what some tough critics out there seem to think, there are a lot of us that appreciate and value what you have to say. It edifies, it teaches, it causes us to think. I thank God for you, and I look forward to reading more of your work in blogs to come!
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Christian faith often, and often unfortunately, echoes the culture around it. If you study history, you see cultures, and faiths, swing back and forth on a pendulum of liberalism/emotionalism to conservatism/stoicism. Neither are inherently bad, but each has potential to be extreme. It simply is our human nature to swing from one extreme to another over time, be it politically, culturally, or spiritually. We are dualistic. We are at odds with ourselves, and we are not perfect.
Enter Holy and Awesome Jesus! How wonderful we are saved by His grace!
So my point, of course things have changed over time in the church, and neither the church of the past nor the church of the present is perfect. But BOTH were and are filled with people who love Christ. And its okay if you take a moment to comment on what you see going on!
Steve, please keep blogging. And blog not only on the wonderful insights you have on family, marriage, and raising children, but blog about the tough stuff of the church. You've got amazing insight there too. And despite what some tough critics out there seem to think, there are a lot of us that appreciate and value what you have to say. It edifies, it teaches, it causes us to think. I thank God for you, and I look forward to reading more of your work in blogs to come!
# posted by : 10:29 AM PDT
: 10:29 AM PDT << Home
