What if the church was more like GE?
What are your thoughts? What can you do to develop unity and exemplify the importance of hope?
Imagine That,
Shane
- Thanks to Shaun Mayfield (@shaunmayfield) for opening my eyes to the imagination of GE.
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
I love church!Whoa, I can't believe I just said that...
Two years ago I would do everything I could to miss a service. I wanted to hang out with friends, make stupid decisions, and be a teenager. The last thing I wanted to do was go to church. It's been a weird love/hate relationship between me and the church. I loved all my friends and leaders at church, shoot, I even enjoyed the service. What I couldn't stand was the feeling I had every time I would walk in after doing something stupid. I knew that I wasn't living the life I should and walking into the church did nothing but make me feel guilty.
In a way, the church was doing it's job. If I was going to attend church every week and fake that I was in a deep relationship with Christ, I should feel awkward. I should feel like I need to change, like something isn't right, like there is so much more. On the other hand I shouldn't feel condemned, and I never did. As I'm older now and God has changed my life radically I see that people knew. That my pastor, friends, and leaders knew that something was wrong. They even had the discernment to know in detail what things were clouding my life. The thing is that not a single one ever condemned me. They all loved me, welcomed me, wanted to spend time with me, and tried to keep me away from the things that were holding me back.
Now that my life is different and I am an active part of my church, I love it whole heartedly. I love how when your relationship with God extends to your everyday life, church feels like a party for everyone who has been talking to God throughout the week. Church is a place to collaborate with people who have been where I have and people who are experiencing life before Christ. It's a place where I can grow, worship, and hang out with people that I will spend eternity with. It's not even about the music, sermon, or multi-media, for me it's about being in a place that feels slightly like heaven. It's a place where every race, age, and social status can come together and worship a God that transcends all creation.
I love my church.
Do you?
Go To Church,
Shane
Sunday's are incredible days. It's so weird for me to say that because I used to dread them. Don't get me wrong I never had a problem with church but Sunday's used to seem like a hassle. In high school I made a lot of mistakes and church is the last place I would want to be. I felt guilty walking into the building and hanging with people I have grown up with, especially after a week of making mistakes.
I'm so glad I went (or at least glad my parents talked me into it).
It turns out that the people in my church are the ones who care about me most. They all knew I wasn't at my best but chose to always believe in me and support me as a student and athlete. They prayed for me and challenged me to stop making mistakes but when it came down to it they loved me and looked past all my shortcomings. The church has changed my life. Now that I have accepted the call to full time ministry God has placed on my life I see how the church has changed so many lives. It's not a place to feel guilty for all the wrong choices you've made, it's a place to find the fulfillment of life and people that want to live that life with you. I love the church and can't wait to be able to call it my full time workplace.
I Hope To See You There,
Shane
I'm so glad I went (or at least glad my parents talked me into it).
It turns out that the people in my church are the ones who care about me most. They all knew I wasn't at my best but chose to always believe in me and support me as a student and athlete. They prayed for me and challenged me to stop making mistakes but when it came down to it they loved me and looked past all my shortcomings. The church has changed my life. Now that I have accepted the call to full time ministry God has placed on my life I see how the church has changed so many lives. It's not a place to feel guilty for all the wrong choices you've made, it's a place to find the fulfillment of life and people that want to live that life with you. I love the church and can't wait to be able to call it my full time workplace.
I Hope To See You There,
Shane
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