ey Brad,
One question, how long do you wait, when exploring a new church, before you
get involved?  I would like to respond to your answer, whatever it is.
Kathy




At 05:57 PM 1/23/2005, you wrote:
>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