Doing Church

   

      I went to church this morning.  For most, this simple statement causes a chain of images to flash across the mind’s eye:  nice shoes, to wear pantyhose or not to wear pantyhose, corraling the family into the car (no matter how early this starts, we’re all usually late anyway), sitting in the usual pew, and socializing on the way back out to the parking lot after the service.

 

      None of that happened this morning…infact the only thing i did between rolling out of bed (yes, i was late) and sitting in “church” was brushing my teeth and putting on a sweatshirt.  For us this morning church consisted of sitting in a living room.  On couches, on the floor, wedged in corners, laid out on the ground…where ever you thought you would be most confortable is where you landed.  It was informality at its finest!  Most were still wearing p.j.’s and no one had shoes on, but we were ready to worship and praise our Heavenly Father.      

 

      My definition of church has changed alot this past year.  It no longer means a physical building, but rather a gathering of believers.  It no longer means following the outline on the handout that the usher handed you as you walk into the sanctuary, but rather a very organic following of the Spirit’s lead.  We didnt come in this morning knowing what the next two hours would look like.  We started with a few songs, which led to a few more songs, scripture reading from those who had something on their hearts so strongly that they couldnt keep it in any longer, more songs- but this time it wasn’t meant to be sung along to, but rather soaked in.  All the while, hearts began to settle in, cries to the Lord became more intense and heavy, and movement began to happen.

 

      We have spent the last 9 days or so talking about dreams…dreams that are birthed out of needs we have seen with our own eyes…the injustices of the world that broke our hearts to the point that we can’t fathom doing nothing about.  And over the past few days, the horrible devestation of Haiti has too only served to add more weight to our hearts.  And altho these things spur us into action, the burden of all of them is not for us to carry….its meant to be laid down at the Cross. 

 

      As everyone began to lay those things down…an outpouring of emotion, heart ache and passion began to spill out….and the Acts 2 of the Bible all of sudden became reality.  I looked around at one point and almost no one was in their original spot.  i have found that i can’t just sit there and watch someone weep anymore…people need more than a pat on the back.  They need to be held. Sometimes they just need someone to lean on.  They need to be prayed for in such a way that their hearts are restored not because of any words i can muster up, but because we believe that God speaks through us for the purpose of edifying our brothers and sisters.   Everyone was touching someone else- no one was alone.  That is doing church.