Brad I truly understand what you are saying I like your analogy though the
ship its a good one.

Here is my deal with churches you either have a great church to attend where
they don't accept you because of there ignorance about blindness and it take
stime to get over that and even after three years some or most of the people
still hold themselves back from you, or you find a church that is based on
performance and the law and they treat you with pity or like your a charity
case.  It is truly difficult to find a Right church and see what you started
Phil?

Thank you for this its good.


Lelia Struve email [log in to unmask] msn [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 3:57 PM
Subject: Re: Right Church


> Approaching the harbor you are struck with awe of the external view of the
> ship you are about to board. It's girth, length, height and width are
> breath taking to consider. One wonders how this vessel can stay afloat
> with
> it's many floors, cargo and people. As you approach to board it along with
> hundreds of others you have no idea of what exists inside and excitement
> builds as you consider what it is like inside this enormous piece of
> craft.
> Slowly you make your way through the chained barricades as they wind you
> to
> and fro like a maze until finally you walk up the gang plank and for the
> first time see what lies inside this ship. Once you are inside and look
> around, and get a feel of what it is you find, just like a church, you are
> either aboard a party barge, slave ship, or Christ cruiser. It is
> difficult
> when you have researched the voyage and ship prior to boarding and then
> find later, after you have purchased your ticket and packed your bags,
> that
> you need to jump off at the next port because it is not the ship for you,
> the voyage is not what you had hoped. Again this is similar to churches.
> We
> find Party Barges who drink up the Holy Spirit like a bar fly and party on
> in a sea of lost folks totally oblivious  to anything beyond their claims
> in Christ for their own wants and desires. And you have slave ships who
> also have blinders on who are so consumed with working on the inside of
> the
> four walls which hold it's cause, that they begin to burn out and the
> voyage becomes very labor some and with each stroke of a row, it seems the
> ship moves no where, none of the  people floating lost at sea are picked
> up
> because the focus is on the ship, therefore no new blood comes in to
> spread
> the load of work, no sense of accomplishment is seen, no progress, no
> nothing but sight of endless work and no forward progress but just enough
> bustle to stay afloat. Sort of like flailing ones arms about the surface
> of
> the water in a disorganized manner, and for the enormous amount of energy
> spent, it is by the occasional hits upon the water treading water is
> fortunately accomplished, while breathing becomes more and more difficult
> and the arms are beginning to burn with muscle fatigue. And we also have
> Christ Cruisers who focus on Christ, the lost, set forth plans by the
> guidance of god and although much work is put into it, it is done joyfully
> and with genuine appreciation and one is energized to continue and through
> the efforts those willing to be picked from the salty sea are done so,
> brought in, washed off, and join the ranks of laborers  making it easier
> yet to lift more folks out of the sea.
>
> It is indeed difficult to find balance in a church. I too am in  just such
> a position. I've  bought my ticket, boarded the ship and began work, and
> found out it is a slave ship and in need of checking out at the next port
> stop. I'm somewhat convicted as I despise church hopping. That is to say,
> to hop hop hop to find just the church that fits my needs, for my wants,
> the way I want things to be. After all why don't they do things the way I
> suggested or want, after all that is the best way... right? Right? I do
> not
> care for that attitude and yet I know that is not the motivator of my
> stepping back from music over the next month or two and eventually
> researching a new voyager. For months and months we've served with no
> vision, no plan, no idea of where we are heading. No sense of making a
> difference and lack of conviction that if we ran across someone in
> desperate need of god, that we could bring them to church and they'd
> actually be affected. In fact there is no real opportunity for them to be
> affected on this particular ship. After this decision has been made, now
> out comes the big plans for a vision, to take action, to move forward, and
> etc. The idea of removing commitment of music is so freeing, so lifting of
> a burden, I hadn't realized how much it was weighing on my shoulders.
> Either I am really missing God to be backing out at this juncture of the
> church catching a vision and goal planning, or this is the divine
> appointed
> time to do such to make way for a right person for the work. I've been
> through essentially two churches on the entry level of growth and getting
> feet off the ground and now this one, and have experienced as well a ship
> who is established and carries wisdom and is making a difference. I can't
> help but look for the latter as it has become too draining to continue to
> reside in the former.
>
> I don't look for the perfect church, cause I'll join and ruin it, but I do
> gauge  or discern it from it's fruit as God's word says.
>
> Brad