From verbal vomit to spiritual epiphany

Yesterday, on our morning walk, we decided to stop by the church and say "hello". Our church has a daycare on the same level as the church offices where Ryan can usually be found. On entering through the front doors, one is often greeted by a line of preschoolers waiting to "go potty". These innocent smiles are always a day brightener for me, and for them- especially if you bring a dog.

Caty walks with us in the mornings so she was with us yesterday as we entered the daycare on the way to see Ryan. One little boy was especially excited about Caty and curiously asked, "Where is the dog going?" I answered his logical question with, "She's going to see the pastor."

Are you familiar with "verbal vomit"? It's where something literally is thrown out of your mouth and you have no idea why you said your most recent sentence or phrase. This almost happened and thank goodness I caught myself. My next unprovoked sentence was almost, "She's been a very naughty dog." As if my dog was coming to confession or needing to "get right with God".

An adult reader may find a bit of humor in this idea, but I was immediately surprised by my own inappropriateness to share such a though with a preschooler. What if my dumb comment became this little boy's perception of pastors and church? What if he though pastor = bad/punishment? As I thought through this scenario, I couldn't help but have great compassion on the massive amounts of children and adults who already think that. The term "burned by the church" refers to an individual who has sworn off church because of the unthinkable experiences no one should ever have, especially in the church. Church should be sanctuary. Church should be compassion and love. Church should be open arms to those coming to see the pastor if they have "been bad", not gossip and condescending eyes.

Does the name Anne Rice ring a bell? She is a very famous author, most widely known for The Vampire Chronicles. We recently watched an interview with Anne Rice on Christianity. She loves Jesus with all her heart and she makes me want to sit with her and have tea while we discuss life. However, she refuses to be called a Christian. After hearing her experience with the church, it's no wonder why she doesn't want to be a Christian.  Thank God this hurt soul has been able to separate her experience of flawed, selfish people from Jesus who she knows is nothing like the "church" she once was a part of. Most people "burned by the church" are not so lucky. Most people who disengage from church all together leave with a bitter taste in their mouth of everything related to the church including their relationship to God.

While we must realize how our words, actions, intentions, and perceived intentions effect those around us, especially those who come to church seeking fellowship, community, and healing, we must strive for balance! If we let the pendulum swing the other way, we become a Sunday morning full of "Eleanor Rigby"s who keep our faces in jars by the door. (If this last sentence does not make sense, please listen to the song from the video- one of our favorite Beatles songs with an incredible depiction of a church member and a vicar in the Anglican church.)

Balance.

If we are to partake in the community offered by church membership and outreach, we must offer in return: honesty. If we are to remain a part of that community, we must present our gift of honesty in a spirit of compassion. If our compassion is to be taken seriously, we must offer compassion sincerely as well as receive  compassion from others because we have been honest with others about our needs. See the cycle? If at any point this cycle is broken, we lose the community.
Observe: If we offer insincere compassion, it is perceived as judgment. If we do not share our needs and allow others to offer compassion to us, not only do we not receive what we need, others do not have the chance to complete their cycle of compassion and we are now wearing a mask in front of the people with whom we should be most raw.

For years, diet commercials have caught our eye because we are told we can have the perfect body by completely eliminating carbs, or fat, or sugar, etc. The reason these never work is because our bodies need a balanced diet. So it is with the body of Christ. No one can be eliminated from the fullness of community. If we remove ourselves or drive others away, the body is incomplete. I love the motto for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): "A movement for wholeness in a fragmented world".

Friends, let's do this! If each of us attempted this everyday to our capacity, can you imagine? Oh what a world it would be. Let us together pray,
"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."