Monday, August 4, 2014

Whose church is it?!



I have been sitting on this blog post for a while now, just waiting to form the right words to say what I feel and what’s on my heart and then for the right time to post it.  Over the last few years a lot has happened to cause these thoughts and as time has progressed it seems to have gotten worse or at least more apparent, so the time is now.

I was raised my entire life in church.  I was taught what the Word of God says about various things in life, I sang about lessons from the Word and was taught to serve in the church.  As I grew and my family experienced different life events I observed how Christians put these teachings into practice…in a lot of cases how they didn’t put these teachings into practice.  When I became an adult and had a child of my own, I taught her the Word, songs about things in the Word and how to serve in the church.  She too grew up learning what I learned.  Over time we determined that perhaps the Mennonite church and even some of the other churches we attended were maybe not exactly what we liked or fully agreed with.  So, we searched for churches that taught what we believed the Word was trying to say or at least our interpretation of it.  As we began attending what the other people who were taught like me considered a far too “loose” (whatever that means) church we began to realize something…the very Word that we were taught didn’t seem to apply to everyone.  I mean, we were all taught to not judge and condemn one another, but when we started raising our daughter different than the Mennonite way, suddenly we weren’t doing it “right”.  As time progressed, we just decided that we had to do what we felt was best for our particular family.  As time progressed I also served as staff or volunteer staff at a couple of churches and defended a lot of behaviors within the church.  I would have defended my church to a bloody finish if necessary.  Yet, I never felt like they would defend me if necessary.  I mentored and ministered to several people, stood by their side when no one else would, poured my everything into them and even sacrificed my family, their time and our money to help people.  I always had the belief that someday, if I were to ever need the same, they would do the same for me because, after all, isn’t that what the Word preaches?  Then, over the last few years, my own family started going through a lot of things.  My health got really bad and I actually had to be the one to ask for help and allow others to pour into me; funny things is, as people helped and poured into me and my family it was done with a lot of judgment and making false assumptions and accusations.  People thinking they were observing one thing and would go to pastors to complain about it, when in reality, what they thought they saw and what they actually saw were two vastly different things.  My view of the church and the people in it began to shift, yet I still stood firm in defending the church itself.  Then it happened, a year ago, my husband and I talked and we made the choice to separate and divorce.  Holy cow did the judgment and assumptions fly…from the church itself…the very place I spent my entire life defending.  I heard things like “but I have seen how your husband treats you and you have it made”, “but you are perfect for each other”, “you are such a perfect couple/family”, “you probably just serve too much and it tore your family apart”, “are you sure it isn’t the fact that your husband works out of town all the time”, “maybe you need to spice up your relationship”.  Yes, these are ALL things we both heard.  I was even point blank told that if I wanted a divorce it must be because I was cheating (he couldn’t possibly be cheating and/or there could never be another reason, cheating was the only reasonable thing to justify us wanted to divorce).  No one bothered to even try to ask us what was going on or what our discussion was or what prompted this.  No one bothered to sympathize with us or pour into us or be there for us…like the church is supposed to do.  Or for that matter, like we had both always done for everyone else in the church.  For once, it was our family in crisis and every one was so busy trying to figure out whose fault it was and where to place blame that not one person bothered to realize that what we needed was love, support, lack of judgment and we certainly didn’t need other people trying to tell us what we needed to do to fix it…we just needed love and support through a very rough season.  As a result of some of the behavior, a lot of changes were made.  I began to seek out another church and thought that I had found a couple of them that would be perfect for me.  And then I started to see what people had told me about church for years, but I was so busy defending my church that I was turning a blind eye to it.  Here is what I observed and it WILL shock a lot of you…At some point, I don’t know when, church stopped being a place for the wounded, weary and broken hearted (what Jesus designed the church to be) and became a social gathering for people to put on their fake smiles, give fake hugs, have fake appearances and show fake lives.  What Jesus intended the church to be has been absolutely trashed.  I found people who said they wanted to be there for me and be my friend, but unless I was at a social gathering with them I didn’t hear from them (liking a Facebook status doesn’t count as hearing from someone).  If I wasn’t wearing my fake smile people wouldn’t come talk to me because I might be sad, hurt or angry and they might actually have to minister to me.  I became so very heartbroken, not at my situation or the fact that no one seemed to care that I was there but heartbroken over the fact that people told me for years that they observed this behavior and I actually defended this very behavior.  The other day, while in Walmart, my daughter called me out on some things and one of them was that I don’t attend church anymore.  Yes, she is right…partially.  I do not step foot into a physical building for church, but I do watch various services online.  If I want to worship I turn on worship music or worship with the music of whatever online service I am tuning in to.  But I have not gone to a physical building.  And you know what?!  I have been more at peace, felt less condemnation, been less judged and felt more loved than I ever have by actually setting foot in a church building.  And that absolutely breaks my heart and disgusts me.  I have several friends who have said they are Christians and I never could understand why they didn’t go to church and I always met the responses they would give with defending the church.  But, sadly, I have discovered that their statements are not lies…they are absolute truth.  At what point did the church become more concerned with what the building (inside and out) looked like and less concerned about the condition of the people entering its doors?  At what point did we begin praising such a Mighty God (which I fully believe He is), but turn around and quit showing a Mighty God to the people around us?  At what point did we throw on our pretty clothes, our perfect hair and our fake smiles instead of showing the people struggling that a struggle is normal in a Christian’s life?  At what point did the pastors stand on the stage preaching against gossip, condemnation and judgment then all of the people get out of their cozy seats and do the exact opposite of what was taught (pastors included).  One thing I have heard as Dale and I have gone through this and made these decisions is this “But you all always looked so happy and acted like nothing was ever wrong.  I find it hard to believe that things were really as bad as you say.”  All I can say to that is that I am sorry that we put on such a grandiose show that we were not transparent and led other people to believe a lie.  These friends that I mentioned earlier, I get it now.  I get why they don’t go to church.  If they stepped foot into one they would be stared at, judged solely on their appearance and would be made to feel so uncomfortable.  Why would anyone put themselves through that and especially at the very place that SHOULD be safe from feeling that way?  Over the last year, going through one of the worst times in my life, I have been gossiped about more by people in the church than by anyone else in my entire life combined (that’s 38 years’ worth of gossip).  These same people will come up to me with a smile on their face, give me a huge hug and tell me how happy they are to see me if I walk into any place that they happen to be.  I am sorry if this offends you, but that is NOT Christian and it is NOT Biblical.  At some point we have to quit preaching the Word and living something totally different.  At some point we have to live the very Word we are preaching.  Doing anything less is going against what that very Word speaks of.  So many Christians walk around with their fake smiles and attitudes like life is perfect and the only thing they are showing to the world around them is that a “proper” Christian life is unattainable because their life could never be that perfect.  When will we, as Christians, stop putting on a show and actually show the world that even Christians struggle and do so with the very same issues that they do, and let them know that it is ok and we will walk through it TOGETHER!  I am guilty of this very behavior too so I am not preaching it to everyone as if I am exempt, because as I said at the beginning of this…I did the same thing for a long time.  If a Christian does something that seems a little “out of the ordinary” they are automatically gossiped about and it is said that they have turned their back on God.  Maybe, just maybe, they decided to quit being fake and show that Christianity isn’t a set of rules and a group of fake people, but rather living a life that is just a little different than the rest of the world.  But until the world quits seeing the fakeness of Christianity…people won’t follow, people won’t “buy in” to it and why should they?  After all, they can be fake, gossip and judge people without being a Christian…and truthfully it comes across a lot better to the people they are fake to, gossip about and judge because they aren’t doing it with the title of Christian (the title that indicates to people that they won’t do those things or shouldn’t do those things).  

Again, I probably made some people mad and even stepped on some toes.  These are thoughts I have had for a while now and just got to a place where I could say what was on my heart from a place of desire to see change and not from a place of anger.  Let’s rise up and make the church what Jesus intended for it to be and not the fake place for “perfect” people that, truthfully, the devil intended for it to be!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Just what we need....



I know that we all experience both good and bad things in our lives and sometimes you just need a friend to lean on.  How do you act and react when a friend is going through a difficult time and comes to you for a shoulder to cry on or a strong person to lean on?  What do you say to them?  For me, when a friend comes to me I want them to know and feel that I am there with unconditional love and support. 


You see, when a friend comes to me I believe that they want my support and don’t want me to preach to them.  I believe that they want my advice ONLY when they specifically ask for it.  I believe that they don’t want me to judge them for their decisions and that they mostly want me to shut up and listen and cheer them on.


So, why am I addressing this?  I have had friends who have gone through stuff, had my support and told me about people that said they would be there as support and all that happened was judgment.  In fact, I have been someone who just needed support without the judgment and preaching, but got everything I didn’t need.  I was amazed that the very people I thought would be judgmental were the most supportive and the ones I thought would be the most supportive were judgmental.  I don’t love those people any less than before, they just didn’t offer what I truly NEEDED.


I love each of my friends so very much!  I believe that sometimes we need to be reminded of these things, myself included for sure!  I just pray that we all remember these things when we are called upon to be the shoulder to cry on or the strong person to lean on! 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

"I need air"


Was thinking this morning about a process I am going through right now.  I got a funny visual, but quickly realized that it wasn’t so much funny as it is the truth…a truth that, sadly, a lot of us don’t recognize until it may be too late. 

 The visual I got was of a small child with a favorite stuffed animal or their first pet (cat, dog, hamster, etc.).  A small child will carry that beloved little creature around and often around the neck with the creature’s little body just dangling.  When most adults see this image, they laugh and tend to have conversations about what they think that creature might be thinking to itself.  Well, that relationship between that little creature and the child can be compared to that of adult relationships.  Sometimes, as adults, we get great friends and get so excited about it that we hold on for dear life.  Then, when there seems the slightest possibility of that going away, we squeeze a little tighter and hold on even stronger.  In doing that, instead of holding on to that relationship we end up actually strangling the very ones we are trying desperately to hold on to.  Is it an intentional strangulation?!  Not at all; but it doesn’t make it any less real.  Reality is, when we feel someone slipping away, the best thing we can do is to talk out the issue and then back away (even just a step) so that we can let them up for air.  This isn’t an easy task, but if we truly want that beloved relationship to not die…we MUST let it up for air.  Yes, you can still say “hi” and even give a quick and cordial hug, but leave it at that!   Over time, you will each your breath and be able to move forward again; hopefully remembering to let each other come up for air every now and then! 

I know that I am learning this lesson and nearly at the cost of strangling those dearest to me.  Is it an easy process to come through it?!  No, but when the options are to strangle the one you love or let them up for air…ALWAYS go for letting them up for air!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Felicity's Story


Our story, Felicity’s story, started in 2004 when Felicity got what we thought was the flu.  After 3 days of being very ill we took her to the emergency room where the doctors discovered she had an intestinal infection. They immediately admitted her and she continued to get even sicker, her kidneys shut down and the infection destroyed her blood.  She was then transferred to Children’s Hospital where she immediately had surgery to insert a dialysis catheter into her abdomen.  After 24 hours of one type of dialysis that failed, she was taken back into surgery for another catheter to be inserted.  During both surgeries she had to have blood and platelet transfusions because her blood was destroyed.  Immediately following this second surgery she went into dialysis where she coded and had to be resuscitated; three days later her potassium got to levels of lethal injection and her heart stopped.  Doctors were at a loss and told us to bring in friends and family to say good bye to her.  The next day doctors decided to try plasma exchange; the number one risk with this was death, but at this point she would die anyway so we gave it a shot.  This treatment ended up saving her life.  After a month in the hospital, she was discharged, but she continued to get sick constantly.  She lost her hair and was very sick.  We kept taking her to the doctors telling them that something was wrong with our daughter and they needed to figure it out.  Her GI doctor got tired of me bringing her in and started telling me it was psychological and she needed counseling; needless to say, we fired him.  We had her tested for everything under the sun, including Cystic Fibrosis.  In January Felicity began to lose weight and her hair; she ended up losing over 30 pounds from January to August.   In March 2010 we were told that perhaps she had Lupus; I began to research the disease and changed her diet to an all-natural/whole foods diet in hopes of helping her.  Unfortunately, she kept getting sicker.  Felicity’s joints were getting worse and began to use a wheelchair to do everything that required her being on her feet for more than 10 minutes.  In August we took her to a Rheumatologist who took 2 hours with us discussing her case.  She told us that Felicity did not have Lupus; she had the symptoms, but didn’t follow the pattern.  The doctor believed that Felicity was so malnourished due to the Gluten that she was losing weight and hair and her body was using the muscle from around her joints as energy; she was actually on death’s door from malnourishment.  She really didn’t want to put Felicity through any further tests because she had already gone through so much.  This doctor then asked us if we had ever considered taking Gluten out her diet; we had no clue what Gluten was so obviously we hadn’t.  The doctor told us to take Felicity off of Gluten for 2 weeks; if we saw improvement then Felicity had Celiac Disease and if she didn’t then we were to go back to her office.  After 2 weeks, Felicity’s hair stopped falling out and she gained 2 pounds back.  Since totally eliminating Gluten from her diet, Felicity is back to a healthy weight and she has a full head of beautiful hair!  Her immune system has started to work again, the “accidents” she was having stopped, and she can walk for hours without the assistance of a wheelchair.  She is a completely different kid!  Her doctors were able to wean her off of her migraine medication and agree that Celiac is the correct diagnosis based on her incredible recovery since August.  The amazing thing through 9 years of health struggle is Felicity herself!  She rarely complains about any of this.  She knows she is going to be a Pediatrician Missionary in Africa.  She is not allowing Celiac to affect what she knows that she is called by God to do.  Her focus is to help everyone she.  And, in case I didn’t mention…she is only 16 years old.  Felicity is not just my daughter, but she is truly my hero!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Faith of the Nativity

As I sit here in my chair, off to my left I see my nativity set.   I love my nativity set, it is one that has, carved on each person, the scripture that goes with that person’s part of the Christmas story.  Today, as I looked at it, I was struck with some very powerful and deep thoughts; I feel compelled to share these thoughts and believe there is at least one person out there that needs to hear the message.
As I look at each character I think about the level of faith that each person in this incredible story had to have.  Mary was given word that she would give birth to the Son of God.  I imagine, as the story tells, that she was very afraid.  I mean, she was 15 or 16, a virgin and engaged to be married…now she is pregnant.  Imagine, as the angel came to her and told her what was going to happen, the level of faith she had to have in God that all things would work out perfectly.  Joseph, the man who was engaged to Mary, gets word that his virgin fiancĂ©e is pregnant and he is to raise this child as his son.  Think about the faith Joseph had to have in God to endure the ridicule that I am sure he and Mary would face as this story unfolded.  The shepherds were in their fields, watching their animals, just minding their own business when angels appeared to them.  These angels told them of the birth of Jesus and that they were to go to where He was and worship Him.  Imagine, for a moment, the faith that it took these shepherds to leave their home, their livestock and their families to worship a King that angels in the sky told them about.  Think about how crazy they must have looked to the people around them.  Then you have the wisemen.  Yes, they were originally sent, by the king, to get information about this Royal Baby.  Imagine the faith these wisemen had to have to go find this King and realize Who He was, give Him gifts and then bow to Him in worship; their loyalties and bows should have been reserved for the king who sent them to this baby (according to their customs) and they could have been killed for bowing to another, yet they did it anyway.  Then there is Jesus…Yes, I know He is the Son of God and is perfect; surely at some point, though, He may have questioned His Father’s plan to save the world with a baby.  The faith that Jesus had in His Father, God, to come to Earth as a baby, be born in a manger to a virgin.  Every aspect of this incredible story relied on total and complete faith in God.  Imagine if even one person or group of people in this story didn’t have faith that God knew what He was doing. 
As I write this, I think about all of the situations in my personal story; situations where great faith was required from me.  There have been times where faith was required and I certainly waivered and took my focus off of God; times when I didn’t trust that God knew what He was doing in my story.  Then I go back to this incredible faith story of the birth of Jesus; if even one of those people didn’t have faith the story could have ended very differently.  These people lived in a time where they could have been ridiculed and even killed for following God’s plan, yet they just followed.  No one has ever tried to kill me for my faith, yet I struggle to trust God.  As I sit and look at my nativity set and think about this story, I think about the usual things that come with this story…you know, the virgin birth, the wisemen following a star, the angels who appeared to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds.  Today, I realized there was a huge part of the story that I have always overlooked…the faith part! 
So, as I write this, my prayer is to be more like Mary; my prayer is to have the faith of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wisemen and even Jesus.  Imagine how our stories would unfold if we had the faith of each  of these people!  So, this Christmas season, as we attend church services and parties, remember to look at the nativity…look really close at each character.  Remember the faith that these amazing people had!  Remember to carry the faith of each of these people into your story! 

MARY
Luke 1:26-35, 38 (MSG)  “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David.  His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary.  Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning!  You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, Beautiful inside and out!  God be with you.  She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that.  But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear.  God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.  He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob’s house forever-no end, ever, to his kingdom.”  Mary said to the angel, “But how?  I’ve never slept with a man.”  The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God…And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.  Let it be with me just and you say.”

JOSEPH
Matthew 1:20-25 (MSG)  “While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.  God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married.  Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived.  God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.  She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus-‘God saves’-because he will save his people from their sins.”  This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this-a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).  Then Joseph woke up.  He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary.  But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby.  He named the baby Jesus.”

 SHEPHERDS
Luke 2:15-18 (MSG)  “As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over.  “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.”  They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.  Seeing was believing.  They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child.  All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.”

WISEMEN
Matthew 2:9-12 (MSG)  “Instructed by the king, they set off.  Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies.  It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child.  They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place!  They had arrived at the right time!  They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother.  Overcome, they kneeled and worshipped him.  Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.  In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod.  So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.”

THE BIRTH OF JESUS
John 1:14 (MSG)  “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”