Thursday, April 07, 2011

Family

To many people Church is a building where you go to worship God, at certain times of the year, to do your bit, so you can tick the I've been good today box.

To me Church is something very different. Although I strongly believe that Church on a Sunday is a good place to go praise and worship the living God. I take that part very seriously. I truly believe Church is about so much more.

Church to me is the people, people I love and care about most in the world, (like an extended biological family) its what I want to spend my time being part of, helping and encouraging others to love God and serve Him with the gifts He has given them.

Church to me is not just Sunday, its Monday to Saturday too, which means supporting the Church through the week, spending time with others, going to house group, meeting for coffee, shopping for stuff that is needed, visiting the elderly and sick, the list could go on.

My whole life at the moment is devoted to God, my family and His Church. So when I write FB status about people leaving and my friends don't understand why I'm upset, its because the people in my Church are my family, it feels like I'm losing part of me when they go. Its hard to explain. The Bible says that the Church is a body (among other things) so when your arm falls off you miss it right! Not just in a "oh never mind, my arm has gone" way. In a deep passionate real sense of lose. I know they have not gone far, but it still is not the same. People who I love and respect the most have left and are leaving in the future. These People have been and are an inspiration to me and I don't know if my faith is strong enough to stand without their support.

I know that Christ is my Rock and if everyone else fails and lets me down, I'm still firm on solid ground, but God designed us to live in community and support and love one and other "it is not good for man to be alone". So when the community is breaking down through disagreements and people leaving it is hard to bear.

Now the people leaving are leaving for good reasons, new callings, God choosing them for another part of His plan somewhere else, but it leaves me a little daunted by the change. I fully support them and continue to pray for them in their new adventures.

I love my family and I want it to grow and bring God glory.

I don't think I have explained this very well and its not meant to make my biological family, think I don't love them because I DO VERY MUCH. That's why I am torn so much between Cambridge and here!