Noise

We live in a noisy world. Okay, example: I am sitting in what I would consider complete silence (aside from my typing..after all it is 2 in the morning), however, if I listen closely I can hear the sound of the air conditioning, my clicking fan, the hum of the washing machine, even the distant call of a train. Now picture me in the same spot during the day. Lawn mowers are buzzing outside, birds are chirping, the television is blaring, cars driving by, my mom is shouting to me from the other room, people in and out of the house - and that is all in a quiet suburban neighborhood. But I'm not even talking necessarily about the actual, physical noises in the world. I'm more talking about "noise" as in, our lives. I'm reading a book that says some people in 1965 actually made claims that free time was on the rise. They stated that American people would be able to work twenty-two hours a week and retire at age thirty-eight. Why? Technology. HAH! Instead, we create new technology for ourselves in order to cram more things into our day. What was it that these people had not considered? The hunger of the consumer. Lives grew louder as demands became greater. I used to find myself falling into that trap. As a high school student one semester I remember working two jobs, taking AP classes, participating in marching band, and practically running my youth group all at one time. I'd find myself sitting in some classes thinking about all the things I could be doing rather than listening to some boring teacher lecture. I remember first arriving in the UK and being absolutely put off that they would want to have tea every two hours. That particular experience overseas was especially beneficial to my daily life, and is something I've tried very hard to hold onto. I thought hard about it for awhile when I first began to think that the Brits' emphasis on taking breaks wasn't laziness after all. So I researched it a bit, and have had it all bouncing around in my head for awhile now. There are, in fact many instances in the Bible that would call us away from our busy American lives, if we would only take the moment to observe them. The one that stuck out to me, and was again mentioned in the book I am reading was in Matthew 5 where it simply says:

"Now when he saw the crowd He went up on the mountainside and sat down."

Before Jesus met the masses, he went up on the mountain just to sit. Before the disciples encountered the crowds they encountered Christ. There is a sacredness to silence, to rest. I often wonder how often we muffle the sound of our beloved Savior with the sounds of this busy world. I find value in tea time, because it is a time where I am forced to remove myself from whatever I am doing and rest. It is then that I can push away the roar of this world and encounter my Christ, who beckons me to follow Him to the quiet mountainside.

"My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely..."

Song of Solomon 2:14

Mansion of Glory

So, basically there is this house they are building in my neighborhood. It's a mansion..and the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. They aren't done building it yet and I wanted more than anything to go inside and explore it, and imagine how perfect and picturesque it will look upon completion. However, every freaking time I'd try to go in it, my plans would be foiled. The construction guys would ALWAYS out there, or I'd get scared there is a hobo living inside, or the people across the street stare at me. Well, Saturday night I was determined that I would see this house. So me and my friends waited until it was dark and then we cautiously wandered over there. As soon as I crossed the threshold, my phone fell in between the partially made brick wall and the concrete slab..only to ruin my plans once again. We worked for probly thirty minutes at getting it out of that stupid crevice. And after rubing my poor phone all over the bricks wall, and then the cement wall, we finally got it out by using the leverage of a shovel to pull the bricks away from the concrete far enough to wedge a hand down and get it....stupid house. By the time we got it out we were too frustrated to go look around.

Anyways, in some way I feel as though that is like my life. I try so hard to see what God has planned for my future..but like the house, God just doesn't want me to see it yet. Yesterday in church we sang a hymn called "In His Time", which is a prayer asking for God to give us patience to wait for him. It also states that God will make all things beautiful in His time.

Yesterday I got to finally walk into the house and explore it. I had invited my friend Jeriah over along with his girlfriend who just moved into town in the hopes that I could get to know her better and make her feel welcome in our town and especially at our church. I wanted to make sure that I showed them a good time, and I was nervous because the only thing I can ever think to do is watch a movie. The house was the perfect ice breaker, it seemed. We went inside and walked around imagining the inside, and where all the rooms would be, as well as checking the views and assessing the overall value of a mansion like this. Then we walked around the neighborhood looking at houses and the clubhouse. It was great.

I feel like waiting is so hard. In fact I hate waiting. It's nice to know, however, that despite the discomfort there is something great at the end. That gives me hope. So maybe, with the start of school, and the start, once again, of my worries will be more bearable knowing that God has a plan for me, even if I don't know it. I can't imagine going through life without Him.

Chameleon Church

Hey, I know it has been awhile.

I'm having trouble. Because I'm beginning to think that we don't belong in churches. It doesn't really seem to make sense how we are supposed to witness these days - by inviting people to church. What we are doing is making people come to us, and when we arrive, we expect them to join us in the programs we have designed for ourselves. First they sing songs they don't know, with lyrics they don't understand, then they shake hands with people that are too happy to see them, after which the pastor will ask them to open up a book they don't have, and turn to a part they don't know how to get to. It occurred to me the other day that by inviting people to church, I might actually be turning them off to it.

This is what I do believe: that we as Christians should be the body of Christ reaching out openly to all people, everywhere. A whole unit, made up of people, just people, not denominations or associations.

And that we are not.

We are a giant frog, sitting on a hill, looking smug. Happy to snatch at the flies around it and look down upon the swamp below him. What we should be is a lizard, full of motion and the ability to adapt to all surroundings.

Not to say I don't love the church building I attend..I do. But I am frustrated. Because I feel as though we have hidden our identities in the pews of our churches, and forgotten our purpose here on earth.

I just want to do life with people. And maybe then they will see that I have something worth living for.

Matthew 28:19