Country Club or Refuge?
Lately I have been wrecked over the thought and feeling that church is a place where I don’t belong despite my multiple baptisms and my “Jesus is my homeboy” T-shirt.These days it feels like belief in Christ is not what it takes to be a part of the church—but rather a subscription to a certain path in life. You have to fill a spot already defined by your age, gender, marital status, or the number of children you have.
What happens when people come along and they don’t fit into those spots?
There are tons of us standing right by the door of the church. We want church to be the place where we feel the cry - “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” So why is it safer to be who you are at a coffee shop, in a bar, or at a concert than it is at a church?
About the Author
Heather Wetherington is a graphic designer on the Threads team. She makes us all look good and likes to color. If you know where to find the jumbo Hello Kitty coloring book, Heather is willing to pay a finder’s fee. She is married to Charlie, who also enjoys art, and together they will take over the creative world … right after this episode of “30 Rock.”
There have been 6 replies so far
I believe ostracism occurs and it happens more than the church would be willing to admit. I think a typical response would be to those people that maybe this isn’t the right church for you then keep looking and you will find the one that fits. When did church become about “being a fit?” The risk is that is how people fall through the cracks. I agree it is concerning that it isn’t more of a realization. I keep thinking of two words in response to your blog - acceptance and then expectation. It is almost that the church has allowed these two concepts to rule or maybe skew responses to the believer. I think expectation is a harder word for me and what I feel makes church feel like a country club verses refuge. It is hard to balance your own expectation in life when others are also forming their own expectations. It is harder to really live in the belief that we have been accepted already just because we belong to Christ.
1 | Allison
Tuesday, November 20, 2007, at 3:00pm
Is ” Amen Sister” a complete response?
2 | Heather Manning
Tuesday, November 20, 2007, at 3:49pm
Another thought just in case that wasn’t complete :) I read this quote on a blog I read and it was oddly calming to me. It is from a book title, Letters to a Young Poet by R.M. Rilke.
“You are so young, you have not even begun, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything that is unsolved in your heart and to try to cherish the questions themselves, like closed rooms and like books written in a very strange tongue. Do not search now for the answers which cannot be given you because you could not live them. It is a matter of living everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, one distant day live right into the answer.”
R.M.Rilke
3 | Heather Manning
Tuesday, November 20, 2007, at 3:57pm
Wow! I LOVE that quote - thanks for sharing
4 | Chris Ediger
Tuesday, November 20, 2007, at 10:40pm
Bloom where you are planted.
5 | Muehly
Friday, November 23, 2007, at 7:07am
This is proving to be one of the issues facing the rearranging of the culture in amerian churches. As society is moving around ideals are being moved around too. An individual can find what she or he wants or start something new from the ideals one has. Some church goers don’t know how to accept what is different. Just don’t get bitter. Individuals connect with other individuals, not the lastest theme event. When climbing at the Bluff, I’m connected to my belayer or I’m belaying. Just being active in the moment.
6 | sparky777jc
Sunday, November 25, 2007, at 5:13pm
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