Do you own one of those vehicles? You know, the one that goes in the shop 1 day and then a week later the check engine light comes on. You get that problem fixed only to smell something coming from the engine a month or so later, you get that fixed and then a week later, the check engine light comes on again?
This is the same van, for 2 years in a row, that wouldn't pass emissions because it needed "street driving"....whatever that means....like we don't drive on streets enough? It had to be forced into the ready status at the shop in order for it to even pass emissions!
Ok, so if you answered yes to having that kinda car, have you ever had a vehicle that was completely run by an onboard computer chip system?.....if you had to think about it, then you don't own one....it's pretty obvious!!!! It got so bad with this vehicle at one point last year that the mechanic we always use just told me to start taking to the dealership to get serviced....he could read the diagnostic codes on his reader because of the computer system....and because they were Chrysler only codes.
So there I sat, in the mechanics this past week, for the second Wednesday in a row, texting all of the leaders in our youth program that I was gonna be late for open youth building day. One of them texted me back and asked if it was the same car and after acknowledging it was, she responded, "sounds like it's in it's last leg!" Haha, yeah, for a 5 year old car? Not even close, but it had been acting that way for sure.
After getting the bill for all of the other stuff they found wrong with it, I had to ask, "if I don't get this fixed will the car blow up or will it stall out somewhere in the side of the road?" His answer, "nope" was all I needed to hear...."sweet, then we can wait to get that fixed then!"
After leaving the shop, I texted everyone and told em I was on my way and one of the leaders asked what kinda car it was...I said one of those vans with the computer chip system. Her mom had one of those at one time and after stating the truth, "it's awesome when it's working," her response was, "yeah, and completely frustrating when it's not."
Yes!!!! And then my wheels starting spinning....I knew where this was going....the church!
The church is a beautiful place, when everything is working in sync with each other! It's like a production line that flows like a beautiful ballroom dance....everything is clicking and effortless, like it's floating on a cloud...but make one wrong step and land on your partners foot and everything gets choppy, the dancers are stumbling to catch their balance and the whole fluid movement comes crashing to the ground. Everything is out of whack!
That's the church experience that I have heard time and time again over the years. Its starts out beautifully and inevitably, comes crashing down. If you have never experienced that disruption in your church experience, praise God for that! I actually love to hear those stories but don't hear them enough!
I'm reminded of the passages in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 about what the body of Christ it to be, one body with many parts, doing different functions, for the purpose of the One body!
I heard Perry Noble say one time, "if the church wasn't that important, then why did Christ die for it?"....basically, yes, he died for individuals, but collectively speaking, we make up the church! Perry went on to say, "if the church isn't important then why would Jesus sit at the CEO, head position of a pointless movement?"
Ephesians 4:15-16 says it best, that we are "to grow up in every way, in Him, who is the Head, from Him the whole body is joined together and is held together, in Him!" That is the beauty of the church....when the church reflects the beauty of Christ and not the beauty of itself. The church can and has accomplished great things, but you have seen the awkward moment when it is battling itself. It's toes were stepped on by it's dancing partner and the whole thing comes crashing down.
Some moments are small stumbles and the balance is regained just before the big crash...and on other occasions, you can see the 2 partners dancing against each other instead of with each other.
When the church realizes that the hand needs the foot and the footbneeds the shoulders and the shoulders need the the knees....it's awesome....but just like that female leader stated about the computer chip van, when it's not working, "it's completely frustrating!"
One of the problems and fixes that I have heard most common rests in where individuals dance against one another. Most churches lose balance and struggle when it's members ask, "what am I getting out of this?" And basically make the statement, "my needs aren't being met so the church is working against me." Rather, I think the real question should be, "what am I giving into this?" Which turns a negative situation into a more Christ like movement, "how do I meet the needs of the other movements of the body so that we, together under the Head, are a true reflection of Christ!"
After all, He's at the head of this, not us....right? If we come out looking like the head of our specific movement in the body, we are doing a job we weren't meant to have and it will fail every time...no matter how much time, effort and passion we put into it. The passion we should have, is the Heads passion and that is, that we all work together, with our different gifts, as one body, under One Head!
Beautiful when it's running as it should, completely frustrating when it's not.....what's been your experience? Have you fallen underneath the One Head or are you spending much of your time and effort, out from underneath The Head?
Are you experiencing that beautiful dance or are you completely frustrated with your dance partners?
Does it seem your "van" spends more time in the shop, getting fixed than it should?
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