The Beloved Community
How does the kingdom of God make itself known in our world, and does our passion for community spring beyond people who are just like us? An emailer poses the question to Wayne about how our thirst for community goes beyond the people we naturally fall in with in our culture. Referring to Dr. Martin Luther King's description of what he called the Beloved Community, begs the question of how much of that can our world systems attain? The kingdom has come not to change our world systems, but to replace them with a different way of living that each of us can embrace every day. God's kind of community doesn't gravitate to our own interest groups, but reaches out to encompass people as people, not as part of one group or another.
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Hi Wayne, I just posted on the Yahoo site a message that coincidentally fits this conversation.
I keep hearing about how I should share my beliefs with others. I have always felt the way we l iive our lives is the best form of “evangelism” around …But… I have friends who are definite “anti”believers”, not necessarily atheists but in their words “materialists” or “humanists”.
I am at a loss as to how to “soften” their hearts toward God and Jesus. I am pretty sure it isn’t by telling them or talking to them about the gospel. My only thought is in the spirit of “picking up my cross” so to speak and doing what Jesus did and told us to DO. Love,Forgive, etc. but these people are good people who believe in these attributes/actions as well.
I am wondering if we don’t have to follow Jesus all the way to the cross and “hang” ourselves on it as an example? ie forgive when we don’t feel like it, love the unlovable, or be an example somehow putting our self interest on the back burner? I feel like the only way to get people to know Jesus or understand is to be an example of Grace? How do I do this in a way that doesn’t come across as I’m just a good person too? How do I share my love of God and Jesus that is a positive. In my post I shared the “for every 1 negative interaction we need 5 positive interactions” to neutralize the effects of a negative interaction.
I’ve been struggling with this for some time and thanks to your various programs, books, etc I have walked away from some of my anger towards the “church” I/C. I continue to study and pray.
So I love my Christian “community” but need to figure out how to get “stronger” in sharing my faith with the rest of the world. Any suggestions?
A funny thought as I was signing out… It’s as much a struggle to share with my I/C friends as with the rest of the world … but things are changing thanks!
I didn’t get the same notion as the person who wrote in about ex-pastors. Granted, I am a former church elder, but I have always been very plugged in wherever I attended church and was a leader whether I held a title or not, so I never felt like the conversations were geared only towards leaders. I think if you look back at the feedback you got during those conversations with former leaders, I don’t think many ever raised this as an issue. This is not meant to downplay John’s comments; I just never felt like it was all professionals speaking only to other professionals. For me, I think much that was shared were things that anyone at any level in church could identify with.
To the writer who addressed the race issue, I am African-American and have been listening for quite some time. Much of what is discussed here resonates with me and my experience–an experience that took place within a predominantly white, suburban, evangelical, middle-class church. That wasn’t a problem for me in the beginning, but as time went on and interpersonal dynamics played out, I came to a place of realizing I needed to move on after enduring 12 years of disrespect EVEN as a church leader. To some, it just felt like I never measured up enough to matter either because I was black, female, educated or lived in an affluent part of town. Whatever it was, I just made the decision to move on. I really felt in some ways that I had been unfaithful to my race by staying somewhere that was so oblivious to others who are different. Not to mention just having my work undermined by people who didn’t appreciate someone from outside the clique making changes. Anyway, like you, Brad, I don’t always gravitate to people just like me, thus why I don’t specifically seek out black churches. My main criteria is to assess the preaching and teaching and then evaluate it from there. I guess somewhere deep down I’d like to think that we could all worship together, eve though the last church left a decidedly bitter taste in my mouth. Fortunately, the church I’m part of now is much more ethnically diverse and welcoming and the people seem to be more well-rounded and exposed, not to mention open theologically without feeling the need to force a certain view of the faith down everyone’s throat. Anyway, just wanted to speak up and let you hear from a(nother) minority listener.
Hi Wayne, it’s working! I’m Doina and I’m listening to your podcast for 15 months looking for a relationship with God and trying hard to make it happened. Without realising it, I was listening to you (and Brad) like I was to the pastors in the institution I left, I was too used this way. Now this changed, something in my understanding changed. Not intelectual, but by revelation. I get to follow the Man Christ Jesus, my friend and older brother. You’ve being a great help in pointing me toward Him all the time and I get it now. I guess Engage helped too, or I was just ready. Thank you! I’m just starting on this journey with Jesus, I didn’t get answers to my many questions, but I I don’t need them anymore. It’s very simple, I live by what he reveals of himself every day and it’s enough, evan if what He gives so far is just peace: God loves me and it’s ok between me and Him. I finally start to relax: He’s heare to help, not to condemn me. I love the freedom!!!
Well the podcast is certainly getting interesting and I’m excited as to how the conversation is developing.
Racism, hmmm. As a white guy I never really understood racism. Now I live in China its more clear!
In China I really stand out! People stare at you as you walk down the street, people discuss you when you are eating in the restaurant. No multi-culturalism here!
I could let these attitudes towards me get me down, and sometimes I have…
But really its about my attitude to others.
When I’m rejected, do I love back, or respond with anger? (ouch!)
Am I a white working class Brit in hostile China, or a child of the King walking daily with Him, sharing His love and caring for those I come across?
I never evangelize. I seem to hang around the poor places, not only cuz I haven’t got a lot of money, but because I’m drawn to the ordinary everyday people. I talk with the unloved and genuinely care about them. That’s God, not me. He just loves people.
When the focus is on me, and it sometimes it is, I hate this place and hate the people.
But since when has it ever been about me?
When we just ask God to show us His love & then help us love others with that love, He actually does that and leads people to us in awsome ways. And a kind act speaks far more than a sermon.
However weak, or bad, or unrighteous, or empty we may feel, God is still at work in and through us and despite us. That’s been my experience anyway. He just loves people. And when I get caught up in that love, I don’t feel any ‘racism’. I just don’t wanna allow that attitude into my heart…
ps. I’m not a nice person, I can be a nasty peice of work. But God really does live in me and (somehow…) loves people though me. There are time’s don’t let Him… but He’s even bigger than that…
Hi Wayne,
Love the idea of a Podcast top ten list from you and Brad. It might be an interesting thread topic on the forum for listeners to weigh in on.
Some cool connections are in the works for some folks from Colorado happening on the forum presently. New members continue to be added. A few members are starting to post again and some have asked for, (via PM) and have expressed thanks for, Lifestream/Podcast resource links.
Thanks again for keeping the forum open despite it’s troubled past.
Dave 🙂
Bev,
I love your comment (just haven’t read anybody elses yet 😉
I am not being ironic or implying anything with this question because I have struggled through about 40 of my own 43 year long God Journey. I have been in Evangelical Bible churches for decades so you know sort of where I am coming from. So here is the question:
What is the reason you want others to know Jesus anyway?
Alan Gray
Well, Alan, that is a very good question! I will have to give some thought to how to express that. I agree with the sentiment “it’s none of my business who goes to hell”. Maybe it’s more like damage control. ??? If people really knew Jesus rather than church doctrine…. will get back to you.
Tamara great point, I am glad you had the courage to bring it up.
I remember talking with my friend, Andrew Chen when it suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten that he was Asian. I had grown to know him personally so well that the sudden revelation, in mid conversation, was pretty revealing. He was talking about his opinions and struggles and they were the same as mine. It was a living experience of “In Christ there is no “, whether the other party is Christian or not. God just does that to us.
I have a theory about this. It all relates back (as everything does) to the work of Christ on this planet. Skip over John 3:16 for a second and read the rest. What is says is that Jesus came into this dark world and turned on all the lights. How did people react? Many ran for the shadows, caves, holes and rocks. Those who had covered their insecurities with the robes of their own righteousness (religion, wealth, pride, anger, false humility) were unceremoniously disrobed in front of everyone when they presented it to Jesus. Whether it is race, age, weight, disease, disability, wealth, income, or faith, we come to Christ as a product of our environment, condition, and culture. The first time we sense or feel we aren’t like other people in some way, we develop patterns well described in Genesis 3:10 “We were ashamed, because we were naked, so we hid”. If it is a minority culture we are part of, it is a little easier to hide and to blend in there. If it was a birth defect – not so much. But Christ turns the light on everyone. If we were raised feeling unacceptable at all, for any reason, we have the choice to either say “This is who I am” or we can continue to play ‘hide and seek’. But Jesus will continue to say “come out, come out, where ever you are”. If I am a rich racist Caucasian male, an honest middle income mother of two happy children or a poor Lesbian Asian Atheist woman, or anywhere in between the message is “In Christ there is now no condemnation (racism, shame, rejection, ..).
Shame spawns all of the destructive human attributes of racism, jealousy, pride, insult, inferiority, depression, and a hundred other things, but those are just the symptoms – even though they create a lot of problems. The fact is that no one will value us and honor us the way we need to be valued and honored. But God will, and when we can, at length come to be convinced of it, we can truly and shamelessly be African, Asian, wealthy, poor, Caucasian American (perhaps the most loathed nationality of all), Islamic, Jewish, Atheist, or dare I say Homosexual. Sorting out all of these differences then becomes God’s problem first, _then_ in the light of his love for us, we may find ourselves participating in the solution. In the mean time, we can abandon our battle for acceptance (or shame if we feel it) for honestly feeling or actually being different than others around us. We can simply let the resolution fall into the hands of our loving Father, and so learn to embrace each other with the same sort of love he embraces us, whatever ‘type’ we may be.
Al’s Axiom #89: “There are one ‘kinds’ of people in the world – People”
Apologies – I don’t know how to write a short post, there are a lot of voices in my head and sorting them out isn’t as easy as I make it look.
It’s so frustrating, we focus too much on race in our countries(Canada & USA), I think that’s why we stick to our own colors. Because we have become so super self-conscious and afraid of offending someone, that we don’t bother to reach out to others that look different from us. These has so much to due with victim hood that we have going in the in our countries. We talk so much about the past and are told over and over again to be careful what you say to others.
How can we truly live life if we are worried about walking on eggshells?
I feel really nervous around people that have darker colored skin, because deep down I’m afraid of saying something that will offend them. Wouldn’t it be beautiful that in the future, we can talk like this. “Hey, pale face”. And reply back. “Hey, blacky”. And it’s not said in a way to hurt, but to just have fun with each other. That we could joke about what makes us different, without being spiteful.
The interesting thing is this racism is a learned behaviour, if you took children from every color and raised them together without making a big deal about them looking different, then they wouldn’t. It’s because we connect color and behaviour together and that’s what gets us into so much trouble. That’s why we say things like this. “Well, it’s because they are white or black, that’s why they act the way they do”. It’s like with Scottish and Irish, when you see that someone has red hair, then we assume that they are hot headed and quick to anger.
Well, I’ll end with this. I think it’s cool that Papa made us in different colors, because what a boring world we would live in, if all of us looked the same.
Hannah,
Papa’s daughter, that happens to be in a white earth suit.
Pat and Wayne,
In listening to John’s email and the comments made about it, I think there is some miscommunication. First, I don’t think John was trying to say that the podcasts were “all professionals speaking only to other professionals”. It also sounded to me like John would agree that a lot of what “was shared were things that anyone at any level in church could identify with.” And just because we have not seen many raise this issue, it doesn’t mean no one else can identify with it or that it shouldn’t be part of the conversation. I would hope that we, of all people, would be open to that idea, and try to understand where John is coming from. I think all John was trying to say is that since the conversation is no longer between Wayne and Brad (both who have a background in institutional leadership), Wayne is drawing more content from the mass of listeners, which naturally would involve more common backgrounds of those who do not have a journey that has involved an institutional leadership position. We as humans naturally sympathize with those that have a journey we can relate to and call our own.
Wayne, in reality, you are a common man and I don’t think John was trying to state otherwise… I think we are just getting caught up on semantics here. We are all common in the sense that we are human and children of God and I think we need not view each other more or less than as a brother or sister. Although we are common, everyone has a unique journey. Some are more unique than others. The ex-pulpit journey is definitely more unique than the ex-pew journey. 🙂
Personally, I enjoy hearing from those who have held institutional leadership positions. I think sharing their stories can be very impactful and help those who still struggle with needing a pastor to follow, feel encouraged to walk WITH them on the road less traveled. All that said, I can understand John’s feelings and think they are valid. Along with John, I have been encouraged to see the increase of stories shared from people with more “common” backgrounds. And, based on previous podcasts, I think this has been Wayne’s heart… to expand the conversation?
Clay, no worries, Bro. I actually know John and read his letter as a celebration that the conversation has expanded to include more people and not just those who are willing to get behind a microphone. My comments about being a common man were just meant to keep underscoring the fact that we all have unique and interesting journeys and that I don’t see people as ex-this or ex-that. I know John gets that. My comments weren’t so much for him, as they were to help others not see the world through those lenses. I like that the conversation has expanded as well, but I don’t see that as less ex-institutional leadership people. We’ve always had lots of people share with us who were not in such roles… I see it as just more people getting to share their stories, lessons, and questions.
Agreed. Thanks for clarifying, Wayne. Who people “are” does not exactly equate to where they’ve been. Although someone’s story can help us understand them, labels can act as a “lens” and dim the light shining from the other side.
I “used” to think that way myself. That is, I used to see myself as an ex-leader and everyone else as either above or below me on the heirachical, god-loves-me-more-than-you, leadership ladder. My concern in writing – wish I had better skills to express it – was to open the topic for discussion that, on this journey, we don’t see through those lenses anymore, as Wayne puts it so well. My hope is that now we see each other as a brother or sister, not anything more, and certainly not anything less. And that we encourage each other to walk with our Father as ‘sons’ – not as lowly, menial, good-for-nothing religious slaves, only existing to serve those in leadership. I’m sure we all agree with that, and thankfully, Father makes it real in our hearts. And I see the podcast conversation expanding – and I know this was always the heart of it – to the point that we are all not just ‘listening’ but we are now all involved as brothers and sisters together, encouraging each other onto greater intimacy with our Father and with each other – which means not so much that the podcast has changed, but that we have.
Haha this is great !!! 😀 I love this my father is you guys father and I’ve never met you before but by spirit we know each other. How good is that !!! 😀
Cheers
Phil
In simplicity, there is no human race, we are all equaling, human beings… And inside Papa’s love, each can just be… And for the rational application of the term “race”. Where are we going? Really?
Everyone is born and raised seeing through a darkened lense of some sort. A new heart and the love of God, our first love, renews the mind to see as Father does. This is the process of salvation. Relax, your in process, and it’s okay!
I have also found, those around me from the world, prefer the “real” as to the former fake performance oriented individual I was. Real people can handle our realness, regardless of how ugly it gets. It’s when you hold yourself up so high above them that their resentment is made known. There they would love to see you fall. But as common among the common, you are always bearing your testimony and witness, mostly without even “trying.”
Those who love as Father will do so to the point of sacrifice, simply because they are not the ones keeping track of who “loved” last…
Though are journeys are different, it sounds like Father has been doing a great work indeed!
I am really loving all these comments – everyone’s!
John, yes we are changing. Thanks to our Faithful Father for continuing to work with us 🙂
Phil, that is so great – the thought that Father is Father to all of us and so it’s like we know each other without having met. Very special to think about. And true.
Mitch, Amen to being Real and I also see that though our journeys are different Father has been doing a great work.
We have so much to be grateful for. Thank you Papa.
I almost feel like I need to go back and listen again before commenting, but I’m going to jump in anyway. The first time I consciously set my foot on this journey was in the late 60″s and it was very much timed to the times for me. It was one with love, peace and equality. Then, a few years later, I consciously walked away.
When I came back, it was in the 80’s, and the community I became a part of was very conservative, pro-American, pro-military. Then in the middle of the first decade of the new century, I waled away from it.
But I never walked away from an ongoing relationship with God. And just these past few months, I seem to be reconnecting with that “first love”, an awareness of Jesus that isn’t about borders or violence or a lot of the other things I didn’t even realize I was never really comfortable with. The funny part about it is that I taught my kids what I didn’t even realize were my core beliefs. Yeah, I’m a white American mongrel. But, my first grand-daughter is half Mexican and my second grand-daughter (second son’s child) is half Filipino. In April my daughter is getting married, her fiancee is African-American. My kids and I have friends from so many backgrounds and religions, it would take me too long to write it all. And here’s the thing, we do joke around openly with many of these people about our differences, because it really doesn’t matter to us, it just makes our lives more full and interesting.
The thing I’m still thinking through, though, is what does it mean to live radically “not of this world”, not nationalistically, truly non-violently. You don’t realize how much it is a part of the culture, until suddenly you do. Even to the point of understanding that name calling and anger is on the same spectrum as murder, as Jesus pointed out in the sermon on the mount. I’m feeling very challenged by this right now, and wondering where this is leading me.
Paula I’ve done a lot of name calling…..all I remembered INSTANTLY !! Was my brothers death for sin…… what would be the point of it if it wasn’t to show his love and forgiveness…… I think you need to relax on this WITH father and confess your sin and allow him to show you his love and forgiveness. we must remember why he died and say thank you :-). Paula your okay coz I’m okay and I’m okay coz god said so 🙂
cheers
Phil
Hmmm, well. Maybe I didn’t state that clearly. It is more just noticing how these things have infiltrated everything in our culture. Things that could be interpreted as violence and anger infiltrate so much of what we use as entertainment. What I’m feeling challenged on is like, just to notice the prevalence. I think it is too easy to get a little oblivious and just stop paying attention. Then big things happen, like the shooting that happened right up my street last week, and it seems so out of context, But is it, really.
I will still say the same thing. How bout leave all those things up to father to deal with and again ask him to help you. Remember that this world is in its own hands.not gods and if those thoughts are stopping the relationship you have with god then I would ignore them. Paula what I have learnt I don’t have to put so much thought into what the world does because I would find myself trying to figure something out that I couldn’t…. I had quickly learnt that I had to let go and trust my father . So in saying that don’t be shocked that someone has been shot it comes no suprise. sin is all around even in us who believe but to our advantage god loves fervently over everything. and we are forgiven so all we can do is love and pray.
cheers
Phil
It’s interesting to see how God provides community after the institutional church…
Within this past year, I have entered into a working relationship with a diverse group of individuals within the eye care industry. Our small gathering of ‘optical enthusiasts’ contains an Agnostic, Homosexual, a few Christ-followers (with various I/C affiliations), two college students, three professional optometrists, an international ‘medical fellowship’ participant, my direct supervisor – an African American, and of course, myself, a recovering church staffer.
As Tamera mentioned in her letter, ‘We tend to gravitate towards p/p like ourselves’. Whether it is for comfort, insecurity, validation, or conditioning, I believe I experienced that reality within the ‘gatherings’ of which I participated. For the most part, our community held the same doctrine, theology, dress code, ethnicity, musical preferences, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status.
I have need to ask myself, “As Father continues to move me from a corporate mindset into the reality of the Greater Gathering, will I continue to embrace the beauty, complexity, and difficulties of the human experience within community?”
I, currently, work the majority of my day in a laboratory with one other individual. He is black; I am white. His political perspectives vary from mine. We see today’s ‘hot topics’ through different lens. Even though we are both Christ-followers, he gathers within the institutional community; I have moved ‘out of the building and onto the yard’… But we have a deep brotherly love for one another. The more time we spend together, the more I grow to appreciate the diversity of our journey. Yet, the roads we travel aren’t that different from each other’s.
This is true for each of my co-workers. We are in need of receiving Father’s love. Some of us are running away from it; others are in the process of understanding his great affection.
Am I wrong in seeing this ‘gathering’ (including believers, seekers, and sneakers) as a ‘beloved community’ for myself? How does this correlate with the Greater Gathering concept?
Paula, I think you are being heard at least by most of the folks here. And many are asking the same questions and sorting out how the constant input of violence even in our entertainment, warps our culture. Great stuff to consider and sort out with Father.
DeWayne, I like what you’re saying. MLK’s comments about the Beloved Community is really about the culture at large and treating each other with respect and kindness, beyond any differences we have. Most people caught up in religious systems miss those opportunities because they think they can only be friends with those they agree with, or they don’t have time to build relationships beyond their religious club. I like the expansion of relationships that come from just loving the next person in front of you and see where God takes it. But when I talk about The Greater Gathering, I’m talking about the connections that happen between people who are on a journey of spiritual awakening to the realities that are in Christ and are learning how to think with his thoughts. That’s a different conversation and one that’s incredibly important…
Paula,
I think it’s wonderful how you have embraced the message of peace, love and equality from the Jesus Movement all these years, and passed it on to your children. What beautiful fruit it has borne in your family. Way to keep the faith, sister! 🙂
And I agree with you about violence in our culture. We are getting way too accustomed to it, too ready to dismiss it out-of-hand as “the way it is”. Jesus certainly taught non-violence, from the Sermon on the Mount to His arrest in the garden. Yet our so-called “Christian nation” seems to thrive on violence, racial tension and political squabbling. I want to believe in my heart of hearts it can change, but all sides will have to come together and learn how to celebrate how we are alike rather than how we are different.
U N I R 1
I have recently found your web site. What a joy. We are not alone and cannot believe how not alone and how just like us you all are. How encouraging.
I read the article The Scattering….. Wow! I got excited. We are the ‘scattering’, I believe. This guy made a prophetic statement. Without this scattering the church would not have grown out of Jerusalem and will not grow out of the buildings now.
Act 8:1
¶
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
My husband and I have been out of the institutional church since birth, 27 years ago. Unfortunately, we did have home fellowship, which we abandoned 10 years ago. The reasons for this abandonment was the Christians would say things like ‘there is not enough teaching’ or ‘there is not enough singing’ and look to my husband as their spiritual leader, which he did not want to be. In the end we felt like we were propping up something that was not from God. Although outwardly we looked splendid. Spending many hours together organically having a meal together and sharing Jesus together. We broke bread and shared wine weekly. But it was still organized, and we, my husband and I propped it up. Most of those folks we tried to share life with are now in an institution, still looking for a king.
We are now not meeting with Christians per se, but do have Christian friends, not many. We were alone for a long time. We now have varying friends: Jewish, Roman Catholic, atheists, New Agers and other’s in our life. Before we were too busy with Christians, we had no time for ‘other’ friends.
We have a small cottage – agritourism- this is my husbands mission field. We Grow grapes and make great organic wine. We have a celebratory community harvest yearly, where Christians, those that still speak to us (not many), come and mingle with all our friends, Jews, Roman Catholics, New Agers, all on God’s journey. By some, we’re probably known as glutinous winebibbers, Praise God!
We recently went to Italy. A thing that really struck me was the hunger for God there and a quick understanding that institution is not necessarily church or as my husband calls them ‘ christian franchises’. It was so easy to share Jesus.
I had a word drop into my head after hearing your term ‘performance based Christianity’ on your web site, the phrase was, ‘performance enhancing GosPill.
Just a little question, what do you think it means “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,…”? Hebrews 10:25
Love what you’re doing. The Gospel is so freeing. To share Jesus is so simple and weightless without an agenda. In God alone we trust. We really are the ‘second scattering’, this is how the Church always grows even without apostles. Praise God!
Manuela
Hi Manuela,
Re: Just a little question, what do you think it means “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,…”? Hebrews 10:25
Wayne has provided much info on this topic:
“Forsake Not Assembling Together”
More from my conversation in Christchurch with Sara, John and Mary Beaumont, and David and Nina Rice:
It could be argued that those who file into buildings on Sunday morning and only meet, live and fellowship with a select group of God’s people are the ones who violate the spirit of in Hebrews’ admonition to “forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.” This Scripture is not about going to meetings, but living in the reality of the oneness of Christ’s body. We’ve got to see the body as including all of God’s children, not just those who believe or act the same way we do.
Now that’s a thought…
Here is a small sampling of related articles:
“Meeting Together” by Jack Gray
http://lifestream.org/blog/2004/09/07/meeting-together-by-jack-gray/
The Danger of Meetings
http://www.lifestream.org/other-articles.php?oaid=13
Why I Don’t Go To Church Anymore
http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=32
Why House Church Isn’t the Answer
http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=35
Living in the Relational Church – Part 1
http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=21
Living in the Relational Church – Part 2
http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=22
The Joy of Letting Go
http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=36
Joyful Blessings,
Dave
This is regarding Wayne and DeWayne’s comments about gathering. I desire more connections and a deep sharing with believers who are also on a journey to awakening to the realities that are in Christ as Wayne said. That is happening some for me and I am so very grateful for what I have. I do longfor even more and am asking God to open more and more to me. This site and sharings are part of that for sure and I think Jesus has even more, especially face to face in store.
Like DeWayne I have other types of gatherings that are a big part of my life where it is a mix of some Christians and people all over the place in their lives. I treasure these encounters too even though it is not the same as what the Greater Gathering may be. It does seem to come down to be ing open to whatever comes along each day as well as praying specifically for how Father wants this to go.
Hey, Manuela – welcome to this site!
I’ve been looking at this website for awhile. It is very difficult for me and my husband to go to “church”. We’ve been Christians si nce our teens, my father-in-law is a retired minister and a brother-in-law is a minister. We feel unsafe to discuss this wonderful news that we have been really enjoying, but also trying to understand a new way of thinking. Have read all of Wayn’es books, which were life savers. Felt guilty for not going to church, but have felt so unsafe there, can’t be ourselves. I have had an incredible experience with the Holy Spirit in 1978, but do not share this with anyone as I’ve been met with dead silence or disbelief, so I don’t share it at all.
I am having some difficulty trying to listen to the Podcasts. I wonder if someone could do transcription so that it could be printed, or sent to friends, etc. I have health issues and cannot listen to them because I get headaches. It’s easier for me to read an article/book…..anyone on this site feeling same thoughts.
My first posting so am nervous.
thks.
Thank you Wayne,
I really love your heart. I hear Father’s heart in what you say. Jesus led me out of the church 21 years ago. While it is beautiful to fellowship with Him, every now and then I crave Christian community. Just someone to share with and someone to assure me that I am not crazy. That has not happened but Father answers my questions amazingly through daily readings and blogs and even secular writings. This close walk with Him is such a blessing. Daily Open Windows from T Austin–Sparks speaks to me most days. It’s almost as if it was written just for me.
It has taken me most of those years to realise that Father doesn’t want me basking in a little Christian group but out in the world where He can speak through me when He desires. Maybe this was always his desire for the ekklysia but we got so many things wrong.
I have only recently come back to listen to the God Journey but I am really enjoying what you are doing Wayne so be encouraged.
Eve-Loraine from New Zealand
Hi Wayne, It means a lot to me that you took the time to discuss
Tamara’s post – I totally perked up when you started talking about that. I have heard it said that Sunday church is the most segregated time in our nations — how sad. This has always troubled me considering the gospel message. I always try to reach out to others that are different from me, comes pretty natural to me.
I know you have no ‘agenda’ but if you can include more female guests and visible minorities that would be cool. 🙂