In speaking about all that's "wrong" with more traditional churches, I have had something playing in my mind over and over again.
There is a very memorable scene in the movie Dumb and Dumber (I like the TV version so all the bad stuff is cut out) where Jim Carey's character is trying on a series of tuxedos. He comes out in all these amazing, expensive, and fancy tuxedos and has just a horrible, uncomfortable look on his face.
Then, he finds a bright orange, hideously outdated tuxedo and top hat and just starts dancing around, happy as a puppy, while the salesmen are absolutely horrified.
That's me. Although other people like and respect all these other church forms, I am just miserable when I'm put in them. They may look good on me, but they feel so constricted and uncomfortable.
Yet, when I found this new tuxedo (the organic, emerging church), I immediately fell head over heals in love with it. It's what I was born to do!
So much more of the Bible makes sense in this context. I am now free to be creative and express the gifts that God gave me, and not pretend to be something I'm not. Evangelism flows from a love of God now, instead of some bully making me. My sermons get infused with passion when I talk about it! The world finally makes sense here.
I know that I may fall flat on my face and be an absolute failure at this endeavor to plant a church with virtually no support or financial backing. I don't care, because I've got Jesus, and that's got to count for something! Besides, I'll have a regular job, so I won't need the church's (or a mission organization's) money.
It all goes back to masculinity. I need risk. I need challenge. I need something that can only happen because of God. I just need to wear the tuxedo that fits. This is my quest.
"Certain death? Small chance of success? What are we waiting for?!" --Gimli, LOTR
6 comments:
The good thing about that tuxedo you've put on now is that there is a context for it. It may look orange and crazy to some, but to others it is looks like normal and is accepted.
Our biggest problem after putting on the tux is that we thought we were the only ones wearing it too, but have now found the party that goes with the clothes. :)
As difficult as this may be for you to believe, I was young once, and filled with the same youth, fire, and audacity that you have. I did all kinds of things for Jesus, simply because I didn't know that I couldn't! It's been a long time since I packed away my orange tux. Maybe I need to look for it, and see if it still fits!
As difficult as this may be for you to believe, I was young once, and filled with the same youth, fire, and audacity that you have. I did all kinds of things for Jesus, simply because I didn't know that I couldn't! It's been a long time since I packed away my orange tux. Maybe I need to look for it, and see if it still fits!
Here's another thought for you to ponder: For a long time I was forced to wear tuxedos that didn't fit. I fought it and fought it, and made myself and my family completely miserable. It took me many years to learn that I could have found joy and purpose in those churches, instead of complaining, whining, and pouting about the ill-fitting, hideous outfits I was given to wear. I missed a lot of opportunities to serve Jesus, and I unintentionally alienated people that way.
What I learned through all this is that the saying "Prayer Changes Things" is not true. What happens when I pray is that "Prayer Changes ME." Just like that Pilot to POW to Missionary story that I sent you. It isn't so important anymore that I like where I am, and am happy. What IS important is that I am where God wants me to be (and that is almost NEVER where I want to be!), and that I'm serving Him.
I hope it doesn't take you and Jennifer as long to learn these lessons as it took me!
if don't finish school & start exercising, i'll never fit into ANY tuxedo! seriously, though, i applaud your efforts to simply be who you are, the person God created you to be. i would simply say this - temper your sense of freedom to go in a different direction with an appreciation of & acceptance of those who choose, for whatever reason, to stay behind, i.e. traditional churches. i don't think you've written them off, or even plan to, but you're love for them must never wane. still, go at it hard & leave nothing on the court (as you can tell, it's march madness time)
good thing about tuxedos is nobody wears them anymore- so when you wear a tuxedo..... you're saying "hey- i'm in a tux, whats it to ya?".
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