Different paths, same destination

You learn a lot when you actually communicate with your parents, you know.

Last week I got MSN-chatting with mom in Australia and we got onto the church/religion/journey subject, as usual. But this time she mentioned some of the battles my pastor-dad and his church are having with the denominational authorities and other churches, because they've adopted a "change or die" attitude. They recognize their need for cultural significance, for meaning, for changing what was to what can be. It's a weekly struggle for the pastoral team, to determine what to do next, what to chuck out, what to keep, what to introduce and why.

And they're getting flak for it. The authorities are not supportive, other church members are downright condemning. They battle against the easy stream of church tradition and denominational norms. (I can only imagine how much more flak they'd get if they were doing it here in South Africa instead of "liberal" Australia!) But they are not prepared to give in to pressure. They call it "re-churching" and it's working. Their group is growing so fast that they'll be planting another soon. Folk are streaming in to be in God's presence. The church is also a community center, open 7 days a week. The space they worship in is the space they party in, play in, be together in.

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I'm on a different track. I'm stepping back/out from the traditional way of doing church to find a new way of being. I'm trying to detox from institutional Christiandom to find what God wants me to be as His child. Stepping back from letting the church take responsibility for our relationship to God, and taking up the reigns myself.

I mentioned to my mom that I would love to gather other folk to journey with. To open my home for meals, being together and discovering this road God wants each of us to follow. (Amazingly, she thought that a good idea, in spite of the fact that it's going to operate well "outside" a church) It's something my soul longs for.

But I'm in the waiting room, learning more about God, and living, and waiting for that next step. I have ideas of who could benefit from being involved, but have decided to let God bring them to me instead of persuing them (though that may be a bit of a responsibility cop-out actually). I'm learning what God in my family looks like, how we can relate to Him individually. I guess it's the learning curve before handing over the keys to a new way of living.

And yes, I'm getting flak from the herd for it. Folk who try make me feel guilty or bleat in my direction because I'm up enjoying a bit of greener grass while they're munching the same old trampled paddock. I've gotten over being oppressed/depressed by it though and will carry on in what I feel God wants from me.

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As different as the things my parents and I are doing, we're all headed in the same direction. Living out our faith and helping others do so too. Whether within a safe church building, or out there in the exposed open, we're using what God has given us - creativity, willingness to try and experiment and change - and just DOING IT.