Curious about Church.

I wonder what the cumulative affect of time away from church “as usual” is having among the little flocks of God around the world and where I live? Of course we don’t rely on scientific, behavioral information as our foundation. However, as humans, we realize that habits form and fluctuate over longer periods of time. That is leading me to this curiosity:

10 months... What habits have formed and what habits have fluctuated as a result of not gathering weekly in person as a “little flock” in the church, our church?

Out of that curiosity comes these wonderings:

*What is the affect of not having all gathered weekly at church over these months and what does this expose about what we value and don’t value about our gathering?

These questions flow out of this question for me….

-What has changed in me/us about church over 10 months?

-What does church "as usual" really mean?

-Is church "as usual" what we really want or need?

-Is church "as usual" what God's heart is for His people?

-What marks my/our relationship with God?

-What marks my/our relationships with each other?

-How do I/we anticipate our weekly gathering?

-How do I/we participate in our weekly gathering?

-How do I/we view our weekly gathering?

-How do I/we talk about our weekly gathering?

-Do I/we talk about our weekly gathering?

-What is the purpose of our weekly gathering biblically?

-What is the purpose of our weekly gathering personally?

-What is the purpose of our weekly gathering communally?

-Why would I even care?

My wondering continues.

Has this section of time away from the normal gathering of our churches increased your desire/commitment to be together? What are you noticing?

Has this section of time away from the normal gathering of our churches raised questions or concerns about your church? What are you wondering?

Has this section of time away from the normal gathering of our churches decreased your desire/commitment to be together? What are you noticing?

In this season in the church that has been perhaps viewed as an interruption, I am curious about what God is up to. Is this space for me to consider my stance towards the church, my church? Is this interruption a gift for me to process my heart with the Lord about my presence there? What am I disappointed about? What am I hopeful for? Am I consuming or participating? Investing in or chipping away? Blessing or griping? Lord, help me as I process this unique time about my heart and church.

My mind is drawn to words that one of my mentor's, Larry, prayed with the Lord about his hunger for real church. This prayer is important for my heart.

"Spirit of God, restore my soul. Revive Your people, as Christ's body. Wake us up to realize that we need to be restored and revived. Deliver us from smug complacency in all its well disguised forms: Doctrinal- we're right. Spiritual- we know God. Relational- we love. Missional- we're doing kingdom work.

Form us into a gathering of humble Jesus followers who are hungry to know the Christ you reveal to us in the sixty six love letters You've wirtten, even when that knowledge upsets our whole approach to life and for long seasons along the way leaves us more empty than fulfilled, more questioning than dogmatic, more certain of less, but very certain of little.

Work in us until more than anything else we long to become little Christs who love the Father as He does and who live in this world as He did, even when loving and living like Jesus require suffering the loss of everything we mistakenly believe is necessary for joy in this life. Shape us to realize that we exist as persons of value and worth only when we exist in true community with You and with others, even though true community demands that we give up the self protective maneuverings that we deceive ourselves into thinking are loving ways to relate. Prompt us to follow Your lead in joining Christ in His mission to bring His kindgom to earth. Strengthen us to stick with it even when the glamour and excitement are gone and when following You means suffering injustice against ourselves in order to restore justice, to make things the way they should be for others. Create the desire in us to keep in step with You even if it leads us into dark nights where we feel empty, futile, weary, and disconnected from You.

Spirit of God, lead us into brokeness and through brokeness into trust, into conviction, into the joy of hope. When we gather as Christ's body, guide us in deciding how to meet and what to do when we meet so that we give You the best opportunity to do in us and for us and through us what You most want to do. Transform our mere gatherings into a living body, into the church of Jesus Christ."

Yes Lord.

Please.

There's more.