Where do I go to church?

There is an institution that is commonly called “church”. I like to refer to this as the institutional church or IC for short. It does not seem to me that the IC is what Jesus and the apostles were referring to when they spoke of the Church. When I read passages referring to the Church the New Testament they don’t make sense if I think in terms of the IC. I am writing this because, in later blogs, I will be discussing the effect the IC has had on my life and where I currently am in relation to the IC. And, I want to be clear that I am writing about the Institution and not The Church.


Author Wayne Jacobson has this to say about Church…

“Asking me where I go to church is like asking me where I go to Jacobsen. How do I answer that? I am a Jacobsen and where I go a Jacobsen is. 'Church' is that kind of word. It doesn't identify a location or an institution. It describes a people and how they relate to each other. If we lose sight of that, our understanding of the church will be distorted and we'll miss out on much of its joy.”


To read the full article (Why I Don't Go To Church Anymore) by Wayne Jacobson follow this link http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=32

How you doin?

The journey, sometimes it feels good, sometimes it feels awful. How it feels is not the point. The point is to engage in the journey. If you are actively engaged in the journey then it is good. There are aspects of everyone’s journey that are unpleasant but must be experienced. And, there are times in the journey when you will not be happy with your own behavior.

So, if you ask me, “How are you doing?” The best I can say is “I am on the journey” It‘s not going “good” or “bad”. It’s the journey. What I can tell you is how it feels and what I am going through right now. Being honest about what you are experiencing and how it feels is liberating for you and others and it enkindles participation in the journey. “By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Mat 5:16 The Message)

But to judge yourself or others by what it feels like or what you are going through is just religious bull shit.

Buuuttugly

I have noticed that it is easy for me to go from self confident to smug and arrogant. Self confidence is a heady drug. It feels good but it can distort my perspective. If I am not careful it becomes arrogance. And that is buuuttugly.