Too good to not quote in its entirety. From Larry Chouinard at Spiritual Conversations.
You might have missional tendencies if:
1. You talk more about the Kingdom of God than you do your local church.
2. You are more in awe of the radical Jesus than you are the charisma of your pastor/preacher.
3. You feel a greater sense of community in the parking lot than in the pews.
4. You've oftened muttered leaving a 'church service', "there's got to be more to it than this".
5. You've often wondered why the church couldn't meet in the park or Starbucks once in a while.
6. You've cringed at the coldness and indifference of church people when someone shows up at our 'church service' that looks and smells different.
7. You've wondered why Christians only hang-out with Christians when Jesus seemingly never missed an opportunity to party with the riff-raff.
8. You've wondered what God does the other six days of the week.
9. You've had the urge to spill your guts to the next artificial inquiry, "I'm fine, how are you?".
10. You've had the compelling urge to join the preacher at the podium to present an alternative perspective.
11. You've wanted to fall to your knees while everyone stood for another happy-clappy song.
12. You've wanted to close a 'service' by shouting from your pew, "NOW WHAT?"
13. You sometimes find more spiritual depth and authenticity in the lives of those who do not go to church.
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9 comments:
Yeh, thats me.
yet, if we find we are "missional", where do we go from here?
NOW WHAT?!
That's what I keep asking myself. If I've found the answer, I'm not ready to admit it yet.
see, you say things like that and it piques my interest...
(but i also get to say pique, so i'm torn)
Thank God you didn't say it "peaks" your interest. You would have incurred the wrath of Dena. :)
wow...those things sound familiar :)
That's why I'm proud to call Jon my friend. ;-) Well, not the ONLY reason, of course!
Jon...I'm still thinking. And meditating. And pondering. And all that stuff.
I love it. Why don't we have church at Starbucks? That would rock!
Also, am I the only one who, while sitting in a pew listening to a sermon, envisions themselves going up and strangling the pastor? Or, hitting some sort of pause button, running up in front of the congregation and yelling something to the effect of "What the heck are we doing here?" Just wondering. Would be totally out of character for me, but still, I imagine it. =)
I love you, Ame--the mental picture I have of you doing that is awesome!!
I guarantee you are NOT the only one who feels like that--it's really good to hear someone else adding their voice to what I sometimes feel (even though I know it's not true) is a chorus of one.
I'm so frustrated right now...and the frustration just seems to keep growing. I'm finding some measure of peace through deliberately changing the way I see the situation, though (ie, what, REALLY, is "church" for me?) I think that's my key...now it's more a matter of training my brain to continue that pattern of thought.
Do I sound crazy? 8-}
When are we meeting at Starbucks?!
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