I sometimes feel as if people reading these journalings of our gatherings must find what I write to be unbelievable. I always record using superlatives but I am being honest and forthright.
On Saturday night I often find myself wondering what there will be to write about the Sunday gathering. I am naturally pessimistic and so I normally imagine that this will be the Sunday that I will have to acknowledge that the gathering was less than heavenly in nature.
This, however, is not that Sunday.
We spent little time in the word today because we spent a huge amount of time in the confession of sin and prayer for forgiveness for ourselves and for each other.
One thing that separates this gathering of Jesus followers from other churches I have attended is that the people don't put on their best faces in church. Instead, they are transparent and honest about themselves and willing to be spurred on to lives of love and good works that they have not yet achieved.
Today was a day of confessing failings of attitude and unrighteous actions that are fruit of sinful attitudes.
Forgiveness among ourselves was granted freely, as was council offered humbly. After that, there was much intercession for people we know who have yet to repent and believe His Good News.
Another invigorating gathering.
I have gotten into the habit of recording my impressions of a gathering as soon as I can after the gathering while memories and emotions are fresh and real then sleeping on what happened and how I described it.
ReplyDeleteOn further reflection. I'll add this about what I wrote regarding yesterday: What I said was true but not universally true. As in other congregations, we have some people who are more committed than others. The dynamic for us is different than in consumerist churches because, in part, we share the practice and conviction that every Christian is a priest.
Also, there was, yesterday, as there often is, open, yet gentle, confrontation of sin in others--this is something I imagine would be considered to be wrong by some people on the CGGC mountaintop. But, I did it myself yesterday. (There was a time when I felt forced to say that someone who spoke a word was wrong in what s/he said. See 1 Corinthians 12:1f.)
There is sin in our gathering. And, we take that reality very seriously.