Don’t go to church! I strongly encourage you to not go to church, but rather to be the church. Don’t go to a building because it’s the right thing to do.
Rob Bell says,” Church is when you are sitting around your living room with people who would give their lives for each other”. I am the church. If you call yourself a Christian then you are the church.
As I approach my one year sober I have been reflecting a lot on life, sobriety, and church. It’s hard to believe in 2 weeks I will have a year. Getting sober has been my greatest challenge. I have been trying to get sober for 5 years. Scratch that. God has been working on me for 5 years removing the things that hinder me from getting close to him. Alcohol and drugs just happened to be my favorite escape methods.
Last night as I was recalling some pretty bad moments in the past I realized wow my church rocks. After all the things I have done. After all my failures they are still with me. Wow my church my people they rock. I would not be where I am today without the people(the church) who were willing to give their lives for me.
I know to many of my friends church leaves a bad taste in their mouths. For me church is redeemed. Church is not a dark, scary building full of people who have their lives together.
My church is eating dinner once a week with my friends who have little street cred but huge hearts. My church is hanging out with a family from Iraq as they celebrate their son’s 4th birthday. My church allows me in drunk or sober. If I’m drunk they pray for me, take away the thing that is poision to me, and love me until I’m sober. My church doesn’t only have pastors but amazing older brothers who love and support me through making me CD’s, listening to me, and telling me the truth in love. My Church replaces vodka with hot tea and sits with me until I sober up. My church invites me to stay with them when I have no where to live. My church visits me when I am in the hospital ready to give up on my own life. My church reminds me of the Hideous Strength required to get through the next day. My church has coffee with me and listens to the crys of my heart. My church plays guitar and sings songs to me to brighten my day. My church sends me text messages of encouragement on a bad day. My church loves me good or bad. My church loves me when I don’t love my myself. My church never gives up on me.
My church does this, because my savior does this. My church doesn’t do this out of obligation but out of love. My church is messed up people gathering together doing life. I hope your church is this way. If not you want to be part of my church? Their is no requirement for membership, no dress code, nothing is required come as you are.
