With all the merging generation pontificating about the mascarade that the church is at presently demonstrating...and with their communication that is being foisted on the church as authentic and real...relational and vibrant. Few if any really have the courage to build relationships that challenge and stand... people committed to each other come what may. Even those Velvet Elvis groupies who somehow can vax on at infinitum about the woes and problem within the church and speak community until your ears turn blue and fuzzy...and yet...bolt the moment that someone has the courage to call them out and challenge them on their life, their ethics, or their morals.
How shallow our entire culture has become...we live in a low commitment, low impact world. Where we talk about "making a difference" and "standing up for others" when we in fact live shallow lives. Lives that are based on some vain idea that we are to be in happy bliss with those in the church... continually growing through some quiet move of God on our spirits as we merge with the eternal goodness of God ...and therefore somehow blend our personalities seamlessly and effortlessly with the goodness that He is.
Rather than the iron sharpening battle ready church community who have the guts to talk openly and honestly about who each of us are and more importantly who each of us are not.
I understand why we, the church used to describe each other as brother and sister... because brothers and sisters should be able to stand toe to toe and fight out the issues in a family without the chance that the relationship would be destroyed.
You see I am beginning to understand this issue better because I had the privilege to work with my brother in law, and although I hated it when he did it, he was able and willing to come into my office and challenge me on what I had done, said and even who I was. Man is that difficult to swallow when he said that I have screwed up and I need to fix it. But there is nothing that he can say (within reason) that can break our brotherhood. He will still be sitting at the table on the 25 of December and I will still be loving him...So to all those who somewhere in your heart are chasing the rainbow of community I have a challenge for you... Stop running and searching for authentic relationships in others and find it in your relationship with God beginning by being honest with yourself. Yeah that's it....stand up and be honest... and let the shallow relationships fall by the wayside. The ones that remain will be the ones that are honest enough to matter for more then right here and right now. They will matter for tomorrow and forever.
Trust me...would I lie to you?
15 comments:
That's a great post. I look forward to READING MORE.
One thing that I think we should be aware of, with family we have a lifetime in many cases to develop that intense unbreakable bond, or in the case of marrying in, there is a tranference that happens from sibling to in-law, nevertheless, the iron clashing develops slowly. The goal of a community, is as you said, not to live in happy harmonious (lets call it what it is) castration. Bring on the swords, but swing light in the beginning so the strength of the community is not cut in two.
Great post. What do you think?
Dave wrote:
You see I am beginning to understand this issue better because I have the priviledge to work with my brother in law, and although I hate it when he does it, he is able and willing to come into my office and challenge me on what I have done, said and even who I am.
I wonder how many of us invite this interaction or offer such truth to those who are not members of our “blood” family?
It takes courage to risk losing a relationship each time you choose to speak truth, but as you stated Dave those relationships were likely to fall quickly by the wayside sonner rather than later.
To speak truth to someone we have to take the time to love and care enough about the other person to risk losing the relationship at the cost of THEIR growth.
How many of us are truly willing to walk that path? Why does that path have to be so high risk? Righteous? Self or Divine? (Thinking on paper here)
Dave wrote:
“So to all those who somewhere in your heart are chasing the rainbow of community I have a challenge for you... Stop running and searching for authentic relationships in others and find it within you and your relationship with God.”
Personally I am of the opinion that authentic relationships are NOT possible if we follow the order outlined above rather, authentic relationships CAN ONLY be birthed if we find our authentic self through our personal relationship with GOD.
The order is confused by cultural conditioning, and many Christians are deceived about the order by the usual suspect, the enemy. Lest we forget, we have one of the greatest blessings and / or curses ( contigent upon your perception) of all on earth with the Blessing of Free will, so once our eyes have been opened and we are no longer deceived we make the choice to continue on the wide or narrow path.
So here’s what I know today every soul that has crossed my path ( and I theirs) for a minute, a week, a day, month or year has been by design of My Great Creator. I know to not to lean on my own understanding or attempt to determine the purpose of each and every scenario but, as I grow spiritually I learn to just say YES more and more to the will of My Father for I am learning FAITH and OBEDIENCE are interchangable words.
I know through My father in me I am more often able to Stand up and be honest... and let the shallow relationships fall by the wayside, and even if this happens MY FIRST RELATIONSHIP IS OMNIPRESENT.
And by FAITH I BELIEVE, no matter how close or distant, the ones that remain will be the ones that are honest enough to matter for more then right here and right now. They will matter eternally.
I know I am encouraged to walk in obedience toward growth as a result of walking in an AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIP with MY FATHER IN HEAVEN, MY FATHER IN ME!
Tomorrow, well that's a whole new day of learning, knowledge and wisdom, so welcome the iron by design it sharpens.
I literally LOL(ed) at your last paragraph. Genius I tell you!!!
I always thought the Velvet Elvis fad was just good for the fuzzies (Ha get it velvet = fuzzy)
I say Community Schmoonity (partial j/k)
See the problem is we "chase the rainbow"...find the gold...get to damn comfortable in our "communities" then forget what the heck the point was.
Lord have Mercy ~
I literally LOL(ed) at your last paragraph. Genius I tell you!!!
I always thought the Velvet Elvis fad was about the fuzzies (Ha get it velvet = fuzzy)
I say Community Schmoonity (partial j/k)
See the problem is we "chase the rainbow"...find the gold...get to damn comfortable in our "communities" then forget what the heck the point was.
Lord have Mercy ~
Aylynn:
I think you miss read my statement..."Stop running and searching for authentic relationships in others and find it within you and your relationship with God.” as a statement that somehow is encouraging self awareness along the lines of the new age thinking that is eating the minds of this generation.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
My statement was written to encourage honest apprasel of a person's life rather than the artificial creations and mind games that we present to others and to ourselves, as who we are.
I know that to a Christian our source...our being... our very breath comes from the father. And even to honestly evaluate who we are the father through the Holy SPirit must step in just to allow us to see...but to many in our culture who simply have no idea what your saying, when you say...
"I know through My father in me I am more often able to Stand up and be honest... and let the shallow relationships fall by the wayside, and even if this happens MY FIRST RELATIONSHIP IS OMNIPRESENT."
I speak in this blog...for it is God and only God who can draw all men to himself.
I appreciate your throughts and agree wholeheartedly but my blog was designed to create thought in the many young adults who are early in this journey.
Having thought through the confusion a bit I have edited the statement to more clearly help people be honest.
Thank You for the clarification.
Your posts inspire / provoke depth of thought.
My apology if my comments are off track, feel free to edit at your discretion.
Sharpen the iron! ;-)
anonymous above is Aylynn , LoL
Yes I knew that....
hehe
relationships...
can you really find real friendship in a church...I doubt it!
It's just way too painful
People are people wherever they are found...In each place the hypocrasy of man is evident. But it is the presence of God within the body (...and yes that includes some of those same people) that is so vital for real relationships to actually grow.
Remember what Jesus said... "I"ll never leave you nor forsake you..."
I think he wasn't kidding.
I just wish that someone would care enough to take some time...
It's just to @#%#^@^'n lonely
Great postage
Authentic Relationships can only be built when time is invested into them. And only when the people involved begin be selfless.
Giving 50 / 50 in relationships ends up to be a 1/2 relationship.
Only when you give 100% each that real relationships can form
Dave, I agree wi th Boomer...
Would love to read more!
btw - do you also think that boomers picture makes huim look like Osama?
*********
Anyhow, I think a great way to avoid real relationships while pretending to be super deep is to be the person "that everyone talks to". I guess that is partically what you are saying with the 50/50 thing...
Yea Boomer most definitely looks like Osama...
but he also looks alot like Gomer Pile but that shows my age.
Jer.
There is more to follow after I complete a couple of thoughts I'm working through...thinking thinking...
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