I've been in "the church" most all of my 42 years, except for about a year and a half of checking out the world and living totally for me (worst year and a half of my life and another blog). I have been in some of the most real communities during some of their best years and I have been in some really bad church settings as well.
One thing I've seen is how easy it is for christians to look to the past. The shout seems to be "Remember When". And noone embraces change because it would be different than "Remember When". I am convinced that God is the God of today. If we ever start looking back we begin to get crusty. Religion is what we see when we look back. We are putting our faith in the past, when God is with us today. I like something I heard Mike Bickle say and think it lines up well with the nature and character of Jesus. He said if you ever stop moving forward with Christ, you will begin moving backward.
My own shout is one I learned from another mentor, John Wimber, "Take the best and Go". In other words leave behind anything that doesn't bear the freshness of Him. Leave methods behind unless they are for today. Leave styles behind unless they speak for Him today. Take the principles we've learned and apply them to today.
**This is my prayer for our new community as we press into Gods kingdom words and works for us, "Lord help us to take the best and go forward, help us to leave old clothes behind."**
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