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| It Happened Again Today... |
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I spoke with a lady who told me how glad she is to have found our church. She's been turning, her heart's been turning and her life is changing and she's been looking for a place that will help her in this change, that will forgive her missteps and remember her as one who is turning, a place that will offer grace and encouragement while this change is taking place. But... Now it was time to reveal something about herself, something that had caused other churches to push her away, to let her know that she wasn't home yet... She was taking a chance because she didn't want to waste more time giving her heart away to another congregation only to have it broken when they found out about her. She was being a little preemptive, laying her cards on the table so the rejection would come sooner rather than later. How did we come to this? Why do we make it easier to turn back than to enter in? In this of all weeks, nestled here between "Hosanna!" and "Crucify him!" how can we ignore our own fickleness? Here in this week of "Woman, I don't know him!", the week of bitter tears, and scattered silver, how dare I forget how close I've come to eternal disaster, how much grace I've received? I remember my turning. How, if it hadn't been for patient, loving brothers and sisters... Truly, only our Lord knows. Turns can be tumultuous. I remember how on Navy ships they'd announce, "Stand by for heavy rolls while the ship is crossing its wake." We were turning around and that meant experiencing the consequences of where we'd been and how we'd been sailing. "Stand by for heavy rolls, this life is in a turn..." So I welcomed her--not as a matter of show making light of her past, by no means! But because of her future in Christ. Welcome, home, little sister. Welcome home. |
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I am afraid this happens more often than not...where we get pushed away from the very people who should love us. It is a combination of things that makes it happen. Those in the congregation maybe one day older in the Lord than we are, but to us that is a giant lead. We don't know any better...and, quite honestly, neither do they. So we all grow in grace little by little. I say that only from experience where I was "shunned". Looking back I am not sure I was. I was uncomfortable and didn't feel accepted. I give glory to God that this young lady feels like she wants to bear it all. By doing so, she has learned of God's grace and hopefully others will learn from her example. Reminds me of the Casting Crowns song that starts out "She was running 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction..." I didn't really like the song much until I saw the video. It made me cry and it made me cheer. Good thoughts to dwell on this morning, Pastor Dan. Thanks. |
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Toni |
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April 04, 2007 at 8:14am |
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Thanks for that Pastor Dan, our church is awesome and I believe everyone should have the chance to know who the true Lord really is, and you help people do that. I think that, that is the last thing that someone would need is to be pushed away. If there is any pushing going on it should be the pushing into Jesus's arms and no where else. What an encouragement you have been to my family. God Bless You. Also, the Casting Crowns song about the girl running is a true story. Toni <>< |
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YES!!! That is what it means to be like Jesus. Thanks Pastor. You are awesome
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Hurt people, hurt people. She'll need not only love and acceptance, but help learning how to forgive and how to exist in healthy relationships. Or it will happen again. |
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Great Pastor Dan, i stayed in the church I'm in because they loved me unconditionally. They took me in, knowing I was broken, then waited patiently while I healed. It was the first hug i recieved from the Pastor, he walked up and said, "God belss you, man of God." He enfolded me in his arms and it was like Christ himself was holding on to me. Interesting that validation from another man was the catalys for real healing to come into my life. Dennis |
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| wow, that's powerful to read dennis. i'm afraid to hug people i don't know. i hope the Lord changes that about me. ~mike |
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Kathy |
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April 04, 2007 at 8:34pm |
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| Why are we so much more willing to accept grace than to give it? Pastor Dan, I love your heart! |
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| Pastor Dan, don't you think most folks at our church would have welcomed this sister? (I do) |
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| Mike, I'm confident that she'll be accepted--but that wasn't my point. Her experience demonstrates that we, the visible Church, can needlessly push folks away with our presumptions and judgments. I had an experience similar to Dennis' but I was pushed away by a series of folks before encountering another series of folks who welcomed me in. Coming back was capped by a Sunday in April 1993 when a Scottish pastor extended grace to me in precisely the same way that Dennis describes above. Then I knew that I was home. |
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Ah, I confused church with Church. A common mistake. |
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Nancy |
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April 12, 2007 at 8:09am |
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| Pastor Dan........I am growing in the depths of His grace....truly realizing the power of His blood and the cross. Where sin abounds........so much more His grace. We must continue to die to self to minister the life He has purchased. I f it had not been for the Lord on our side.......Kudos to you for LEADING a church in grace....nance |
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