my family

12 years - that's how long i've been blessed to be a part of beaver baptist

i can't imagine being any other place and with any other body. but as i wrestle with the uncertainity of beaver, i had to think about that. i don't want to but i can't ignore reality.

it's funny, we have one church healing over the break with their pastor, one church who recently discovered their pastor was leaving, and then there is us. . . we have a pastor, but no church - how can that be?

on the surface i would say pride, selfishness, un-Christ-likeness all played a part - but i think the roots are deeper. my love of beaver has been the family feeling you get - the everyone knows my name experiences. i can't be away too long until i get a call asking how i'm doing, even if i'm away for campus min. or city rescue mission stuff - i'm honestly missed!

but as i reflect on the pastor mike years, a few months of our intrim pastor, and the four years w/o a pastor - i realize something. i think we, the body, gives too much power to the pastor and not enough to God - or better said, we trust the pastor to make all of our decisions rather together with the pastor seeking God's direction. in essence, our silence gives approval to all decisions the pastor makes. This is wrong -- we need to be allowing the pastor to do what he is instructed to do; teach, shephard, and lead the people. we are to be willing to be empowered to lead - not just be led.

so, here we are - people are hurt, angry, unhappy, and discontented. why? because we seem to be lacking motivation to really be the church -- we want our needs met -- we sit back every sunday and say "bless me, take care of me" - when what we should be doing is saying "train me, let me lead"

so, where do we go from here? -- i'm no one special and i'm not really smart - but i think it's time our leadership get off their butts and all the body to true repentence/confession/ and forgiveness.

it's time we, "together seek to disciple the saved and reach the lost in the community in which we live" - taken from the mission statement of Beaver Baptist Church.

that can only happen when we stop worrying about the little things, stop worrying about protocal - and start being real - authenicily living out our faith journey in fear and trembling with each other - in real community.

this will only happen when we stop getting filled and running over with facts and start pouring out God's love/truth/and message to those around us -- when we stop tip-toeing around the pastor and his wife and start making our voices heard - not for the sake of pleasing ourselves or meeting our needs but for the main reason of seeing God's glory revealed in beaver baptist to a watching world all around brighton township.

just my thoughts and ramblings on the state of my church