December 29, 2005

I've realized what avoiding or forgetting about people in life can lead to, in a lot of cases.

Other than realizing we're alienating our brothers and sisters, and having to realize that we're doing it, we miss out on many great opportunities to get to know beautiful children of God in our lives.

I say this in reference to a group at my church.

What I mean by this is that, for the past year and a half, a higher education group from my church has been sending me these amazing care packages in the mail, to help me along with my college life. Usually I'm grateful for the packages, but tend to forget that people actually send them to me.

I finally met the person in charge of the higher education program, and it finally struck home that these packages are put together with the idea that it is just a task at hand. These packages are put together with the idea that they will actually be helping us out, and there is alot of actual CARE in these care packages.

In reference to this, I think that often, we completely lose sight of the people behind the acts in life, and thus lose alot chances for astounding relationships, and the ability to see God at work.

I know I'm certainly not exempt from this.

I feel that God may be finally getting me on the right track in terms of seeing His work, or rather, I may finally be getting on the track He's set for me. I don't always see it immediately right now, but He certainly makes it clear in the time following how incredible His people and works are.

I have been in a deep personal struggle with myself for quite a while with the concept of the established church.

My main conflict is that in terms of the average person, the thought of church brings to mind not the people and family within, but a building itself. The people that ARE the church are sometimes forgotten in the, for lack of being able to think of a better word, ritual that is implied with church, in the modern sense.

The idea of the church, biblically was never ACTUALLY a physical building. The church was always based on the people. It scares me that from an outside view, many people view the church as a place where they are supposed to feel guilty, as opposed to a place where they are supposed to feel forgiven and blessed in God's house.

This is not to say that I am against the idea of a building for worship. There is something very spiritual and awe-inspiring about a House of God. I have always liked the feeling of churches, and recently I would say I have even begun to love it.

I think the conclusion I've come to, with prayer and with what I feel is God confirming what I've come upon, is that the idea that you have to be at a church to be a church is false. While the church building is certainly a wonderful place, the church itself doesn't have to be contained within it to be the biblical church. I think God has given me an opportunity to see this in the coming year, and experience an entirely new church experience in addition to what I currently see.

Can one get so caught up in unconscious practice that all value is lost from the original idea? Is it possible to get so used to doing something that it becomes completely devoid of what the original intent was, spiritually?