Amen.

1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load.

6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

I am not smart.  I mean, I figure stuff out eventually, but all in all, I’m not.  I am not a scholar, and I am not a theologian, nor do I have deep knowledge of most things.

When I write, I write what I feel in my heart.  Most of the times I can’t even find words, because I think my heart is now experiencing things my brain can’t comprehend.  I guess that’s the glorious thing about God.  In seeing His Love, my love grows.

My relationship with my wife intensifies every day, and I can say we haven’t argued in a long time.  Every day, I take time to sit and think about her.  I know it sounds corny, but it’s true.  I take ten minutes or so to just sit and think about her, read her blog, and just think about the passion she speaks with, loves with and lives with.  Each day, I find myself short of breath, thinking about how it’s nearly impossible for me to love her as much as I do.  It feels like a good panic attack.  You know the feeling?

Now, once I’m done thinking about that, I can’t help but think, “Holy cow!  God loves me even more than that!  I can’t even wrap my head around my love for Andrea, and here I am, a complete loser with huge issues, and struggles with sin, and our God loves me more than I can imagine.  God has ‘good panic attacks’ because He loves me that much?  (No, I can’t back the panic attack part up biblically)  That’s how I imagine it.  Honestly, it brings me to my knees. I truly am not worthy of His love.  But he does it anyway.  He is more than worthy of our love, and sometimes, I struggle.

wow.

As some of you know our church, “The Point”, came to an end recently, for at least a month.  What is certain is that our building is sold, (Which we knew was coming) and we will no longer meet Sunday Mornings at the building formally known as ‘The Point’.

Over the last week, I have had the…. uh…. privelege? to see this unfold.  To see how people react, and to see how people handle themselves.  I understand some of the confusion, and I even understand being upset.  I spent many hours up there, working, trying to fix things, hanging out, praying, thinking.  That place was like my second home.  (And really was Andrea’s)

All week on Facebook, I have seen statuses similar to ‘whoever’s name “Misses The Point”‘.  I have to agree.  We are missing the point.  We are upset about a gathering place.  We are upset about a building built by hands even though the scripture tells us, “.. God does not live in a building built by hands.”  Somehow we still insist that he does.

I’ve heard, (first hand) a lot of assumptions and attacks launched against our Pastor, for a decision God laid on his heart.  People saying that they know it wasn’t God.  (wow)  I’ve heard people tell blatant lies, I have heard people get angy, upset, manipulative, and just plain silly.  I’ll say this right now.  I grew up on the streets, and I can say without a doubt I have a harder time trying to figure out who is trying to manipulate me in the name of God.  If Jesus Christ were still in his tomb, he’d be turning in it.

With all of this going on, I have a peace.  A peace that God is showing me his redemptive love.  God is showing me that nobody is perfect.  In all of this, God is showing me that I won’t lose my faith in him, and is showing me that with all change comes hurt, betrayal, and suffering.  God is showing me that ‘Christianity’ is not a safe religion. (And he never said it was) God is showing me the undying love of Jesus Christ.

Through all of this, I have not lost faith in Man, because my faith was never in man to begin with. During this time I am reminded that we all have sin.  I am reminded of Luke 18 9-14.  I am reminded that in that story the tax collector went down among men, justified in God’s eyes.

Perhaps we can all walk away with something from that.  Perhaps, as a community going through trials, we should all be standing on the mountain top, not even looking towards the Heavens, pounding our breasts, screaming out our sins and begging for forgiveness, instead of pointing out others.

So I encourage you to join me.  I encourage you to beat your chest with me, screaming out our sins, and begging our Father for forgiveness.  Begging God to redeem us all and our community.

Jesus, forgive me.  I am a sinner!  I have anger in my heart, and in the midst of sharing your love, I hold grudges.  I judge.  Lord, I need your love now more than ever, and I ask that you open the eyes and hearts of people who are hurting.  I pray that the ones who are lost, become found, and Lord, I pray, in the ways that I am lost, I become found as well.  Thank you God for this beautiful love story.  Thank you for shining your light on the darkest situations.  Thank You thank You thank You.  God I love you, I love that You love me, even though I’m a rough, abrasive man.  Lord.  You’re just too awesome to comprehend.

-Amen.

He died for you.

But He didn’t just die for you.

He died so we ALL had a chance at redemption.

Not just you.

Not just me.

All.

Every Sin.

Not just the ones we deem ‘forgivable’

It’s Pretty amazing.

We have all been saved and forgiven by HIS mercy grace and infinite Love.

Jesus Christ.

What a Mighty God we serve.

While I venture in to 2009, I am becoming very unsure about the American ‘Church Culture.’ and often times I feel like the Church is (As I’ve heard a lot this week) ‘Missing the Point’.  I need to remember, while the church may have some things wrong, I must remember that the message is the same.  It’s been the same for nearly 2000 years.  With all of the wrong-ness (is that a word?) that I feel about suburbanite church, I have to remember there is one constant Right.

While The Word can be twisted, screwed up, and taken out of context, there is one word that cannot be taken away.  I have to control my cynicism toward the church and make sure that I don’t direct that cynicism at God.  It’s a fine line, (As I feel that is how America has built it.) but I cannot and will not let that fog my vision.

My God is mighty to save.  And Thank God for that, because if he wasn’t I’d be on the first bus to Hell.  I have to remind myself, while I don’t agree with the suburban, churchy image, They deserve, or don’t deserve the love of Christ just as much as me.  The beauty of it all is, they are receiving it, just like I am.

My God is amazing, My God sees beyond walls, beyond the 10:30 service, and directly into my heart.  So, while I do attend Church, and while I do go to the 10:30 service, the most important thing to me is to keep my heart filled with love.  Love for him, love for my friends, family, the guy who sits next to me in church, and just as important as that, love for the poor, the marginalized, and my enemy.

It’s easy to get it twisted in this world.  It’s easy to point at a person and say, “I just REALLY wonder if they are reading the same Bible as me.”  It’s hard for me to kick myself in the ass and say, “Hey, that’s not your judgement call Andy.” I don’t know if any of this is making sense, because this is NOTHING how I had planned this blog.  I guess that’s (one of) the glorious and beautiful things about God. Perhaps what we all could use is a little biting of the tongue.  Perhaps we could all be silent for a little while and take away the good of any situation.  I’m no Solomon, but I’m sure if he read my blog, he might tell me to shut up.

As I go forward into 2009, My prayer is that I do not let my cynicism get in the way.  My prayer is that we all take a step back and look at OUR situation.  My prayer is we all stop pointing fingers, casting stones, and blaming the other guy.  My prayer is we take responsibility, accept God’s mercy and grace, and move on.  My prayer is that we realize we have no control over other people, how they handle situations, and we pray for them.  My prayer is to love.