big differences, bigger God

Monday evening, I spent 2 hours with about 50 people representing 20 churches in the Cedar Valley. It was a mixture of churches and people of faith that you don't commonly see interacting together or relating around our community. This was our 3rd and final gathering to plan Love Cedar Valley and this last meeting is always focused more on sharing a meal, praying, and worshiping together than it is about event planning. I love this 3rd gathering each year, and I'm still reflecting about the dynamics of the evening and the work that God does in such a setting.

As we were led into a time of prayer and worship on Monday, I was aware of the vast differences of worship tradition in the room. Some who prefer praying silently than aloud around a table. Some who speak in tongues. Some who stand and spread out their arms while singing. Some who are accustomed to an organ and hymns. Some who meet with and worship God in a liturgy. Others who are fluid and like to "follow the Spirit's leading and timetable".

Big differences, Bigger God. I'm really convinced that if the Church is going to attempt to walk toward unity and reconciliation, we will have to stretch ourselves into places that are bound to feel somewhat uncomfortable. Places that will cause us to wrestle with questions and all sorts of emotions. Places where we will catch ourselves judging. We will catch ourselves justifying our desire to distance ourselves. We will catch ourselves wanting to quickly go back into a setting that feels like a better fit; a safer, more familiar, and comfortable place. And from that deceiving "safe" place, we will look out at the lack of progress being made in our community and the barriers that remain firmly in place.

I'm reading the book of Luke with about 600 other people right now. Each day, we are reading a new portion of a chapter for 89 days. I've never read Luke in such a way, and it is one of the most powerful encounters with Scripture that I've had...to read it in community, and to reflect deeply on one passage each day. I am so struck by how Jesus challenges "the established order" ALL the time. Over and over again. He knows our human tendency to shrink back into familiar, into comfortable, into self. And he knows the intention and discipline that will be needed for there to be growth and reconciliation. He understands that we will go into unfamiliar territory and immediately want to judge, justify, retreat. Instead, I believe he calls us to tarry there a bit and discover that God is bigger, Jesus is Lord and Savior, and people are more valuable than all of the differences we so often allow to get in the way.