Small Group Bible Study

i have been in some sort of small group Bible study for many years now.

i was in one when i was College age.

i lead one after i got married and i was helping with the youth at our church.

i was in one with the young adults.

i was in one when our young adults group split and we moved in for Dan to lead the study at another group.

after we led the study the leader of the group left and we stayed.

our current small group is the same group that has been remade... 

people have left, people have come, but the core group of us have stayed.

we get together every two weeks.

we have switched nights, times and, when the study requires it, we have gone to every week.

it took me a while to feel comfortable to open up to the group - especially when new people arrive.  

our group is a mixture of:

 those who were raised in the protestant church.

those who were raised in the Catholic church but received Christ as their savior and now live out the Protestant faith.

those who were raised in no church and accepted Christ into their lives as adults.

those who have seen many struggles and survived them from their own persistance and determination.

those who have seen many struggles but have stayed true to their Saviour 

- amidst questioning but drawing close to Him - 

those who have walked away from the Christian Faith, only to make the decision to do an about face and come running back to Him.

those who have stayed close to God through their young life to question Him for a time as an adult.

those who are raising the first generation, in their family, in the church.

those who are raising the second+ generation in the church and in faith of Jesus Christ.

we are made up of a group of people from different backgrounds.  

who have messed up.  

who still sometimes mess up.  

who are not perfect.  

who like to think they're perfect but deep down know they're not.  

who make mistakes.  

who admit their wrongs - even if it's just to their spouses.  

but we all have one thing in common.

we love Jesus Christ.  

we know He is God's Son.  

that He came to earth as a babe (why we celebrate Christmas).  

lived as a man.  

died a gruesome death after being falsely accused.  

was buried in a tomb.  

but... defeated death!  

He rose again!  

He did it for me he did it for you.  

he did it for the romans who put him on the cross.  

he did it for the Jews who were scared of him and his teaching.  

he did it for everyone in this world.  

so that we could have a personal relationship with God, and have eternal life 

- going to heaven when we leave this world -

our small group is made up of people who are thankful for what he did. 

who strive to live for Him each day.  

we screw up... but we are forgiven. 

 Jesus was our sacrifice.  

wanna know what i love about my small group?

i'm gonna tell you anyway, so either stop reading now or sit back and enjoy reading my thoughts.

i have been raised going to church.

my mom adores Jesus and made sure to take my brother and i to church each week.

i did sunday school, i did youth group, i volunteered,

i attended the main service, i went to the evening services, 

i worked at a Christian summer camp, i went to a one year Bible college,

i worked at a mennonite camp...

i asked Jesus to come into my life when i was little.

i have been surrounded with church and churchiness for as long as i have memories.

i am in this small group now.

about half the group met Jesus when adults and the rest of us have known Him most of your lives.  

i love that.

i will be honest with you right now.

telling people about Jesus scares me.  

i have been immersed in the faith since i was wee, 

but sharing it in words has always put an amount of fear in me...

fear i'll say the wrong thing or not know the answers...

this fear does not come from Jesus it comes from my humanity and from Satan.

i am a very relational person.

i want my daily life and actions to separate me from those who don't believe, 

so they will want to know what makes me different.

i'm more comfortable to live this way...

it is not necessarily the best way...

sometimes i need to step out out of my comfort zone.

the people in my small group who met jesus as adults can see the urgency, 

the importance of sharing this Jesus they adore with those around them.

they have an excitement about inviting others to things.

they have a passion to share with others.

are they afraid?

at times, yes.

but you know the difference between me and them?

they do it.

they tell others..or invite others.

i can't sleep, i sweat, i feel nauseous...

but those others.

when they tell their stories, 

when i hear them get excited...

it encourages me.

i feel the same excitement.

i may have been immersed in the church, 

and maybe i can answer some of their questions about the Scriptures, 

i know the answer, of what i should be doing and why, 

but the newer Christians...

the ones that didn't grow up in the church...

these people in my small group.

they encourage me with their passion to share with others, 

as they were shared with not too long ago.

their faith in Jesus...

it's amazing to hear them talk about it.

i know it goes both ways.

there are most likely things about my life, 

my knowledge in Jesus, 

my long-standing faith in Him,

that encourage them.

every one of us in our small group comes from a different past.

we all have a different story before and since we fell in love with Jesus.

we all have different struggles in our faith.

some have the same struggles.

we can all encourage each other.

we can all pray for, and with, each other.

we can support each other as we travel this thing called life.

i am so thankful for my small group.

for each of the people, 

the variety of personalities, 

the different stages of our lives, 

the different stages in our walk with Jesus.

if you are a follower of Christ i encourage you to find a small group Bible study that you can be a part of.

find one that you determine to be able to open up and share with them one day.

you do not have to share your most intimate secrets with them at the first meeting, 

but as you pray together, share together, learn together, 

over time you will want to share with them.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

i was thinking about this as i was digging in my garden, 

but had to stop to come in and write it.

this may be a mumble jumble of thoughts, 

but when i was digging, i had written the most eloquent blog post...

but...

this is what you get!

a prayer for the Cast of our Christmas Performance.

It's raining out.

the crazy snow we had is melting.

there are 11 days until Christmas.

but only 3 nights until our Christmas Performance.

A JOURNEY HOME

this week is crazy.

i am at the church every evening.

Last night i stayed after the rehearsal to prime the stairs, on the set.

i got home at 2:15am.

tonight is dress rehearsal #1

"Oh Lord, please help us all know our lines.

Please don't let us play a character, but let us BE that character.

when we step on stage, each night, i ask that we see through our character's eye, speak with his/her voice.  hear with his/her ears, may our actions, mannerisms, laughter, be the character we have become.

Thank you for the talent of the people involved.

i love them like family Lord. 

I am so honored that you allow me the opportunity each year to be able to be a part of these performances.

May the performances this year be pleasing.. very pleasing to you.

You have gifted us.

Our directors, writers, tech guys.

our builders, painters, creative geniuses.

our actors, stage crew, prompter.

and everyone else involved that i have no idea about.

Thank you for our families

who allow us to take the time to be out there doing what we are passionate about.

Help us as we strive to bring you the best.

to bring the community of Huntsville the best.

Help us not be shy, not be distracted, not be sick.

Help us to be confident, be strong, bold, healthy.

I ask for your blessing on those of us in this production.

i ask for your blessing on each of the audience members.

some don't know if they'll go yet. 

Use us to show them who you are.

Thank you for Christmas.

Thank you for sending Jesus, your son, as a baby.

thank you for easter, Lord.

without Christmas, Easter would not have happened." 

"Wow, Anna, it sounds like there might be a lot more to this story!" - Gail



WHY?

Forgiveness.... reconciliation.... grace....

are these just words Christians throw out to people because they are the 'right' thing to say.

do people truly believe them when they say they are needed for everyone?

or are there limits as to who those should be given to?

i understand the "we're only human and we screw up" line.  But if we're seriously striving to follow Jesus Christ's example don't we need to truly strive to bless others and ourselves with forgiveness, reconciliation and grace - in as much as we're able to humanly do - and to trust that the Lord will give us the strength to mean it and to do the rest of the work in our own hearts and the hearts of others??

yes we're human....

yes we screw up...

so why, when a person screws up and is completely, genuinely, humbly apologetic for the mess up, WHY do we make them feel even more like shit?

Why do we hold it against them and make them fight their way back to acceptance? 

Why do we make them feel as though they are the only ones who have ever messed up? 

Why do we make them feel ALONE?

if they are genuinely asking for forgiveness (I'm not getting into a situation where someone isn't remorseful) why can't we try to give them that? 

why must we make ourselves feel 'high-and-mighty'?

why do we avoid them in the streets or halls and not even acknowledge their existence?

why do we turn our eyes away with hopes that they didn't see us glance at them?

what happened to forgiveness?

what happened to reconciliation?

what happened to grace?

or are those things only something God can bestow on someone?

when someone asks for forgiveness.. when someone apologizes.. when someone acknowledges having messed up...

how is it 'helping them heal' by turning away from them.

if you're hurt by them, then understandably, there's healing on your side too; but for both your sakes - and both your healing... if paths are crossed make eye contact and acknowledge.  

(conversation isn't needed, hugs aren't needed, even a big welcoming smile isn't needed... but making the other feel like a leper isn't going to help anyone.)

I don't recall in the Scriptures where Christ walked by and avoided a person because they had messed up their life more than He could handle,(and I happen to believe He would have been hurt by a lot of these people.) 

forgiveness isn't an option.

reconciliation isn't an option. 

grace isn't an option.

not if you're truly striving to be like Christ.

in as much as we can humanly do those three things.  Christ needs to take care of the rest. 

Someone who is genuinely remorseful, can be forgiven by Christ and the wrongs 'forgotten'. 

why then, do we as humans feel the need to make sure to remind others of their screw ups - small or large. 

God can raise people from the dead.

God could forgive Paul - a killer of Christians.

God heals the lame, makes the blind see...

God can give the strength to forgive, to heal...

He created the earth, the seas, the living creatures, etc in SIX days, I think He can help us forgive, reconcile and give someone grace. 

i am working on these things daily, and I understand they're not easy, if I try to do them by myself.. sometimes I don't want to do them, but i have learned over the last year just how important and healing these can be when i get out of my self-focused little bubble and realize how needed they are for my own healing and for other's healing. 

no one should feel shunned by people who call themselves Christ followers, if they have seen their wrongs and now attempt to right their wrongs and mistakes. 

followers of Christ?

what does that really mean to you? 

The one about MWS' Tweet.

"Church is not a gallery for the self-righteous. it is a shelter for the tired, weak, and impoverished. The outcasts and outsiders." ""It is for those who have examined the darkest corners of their imperfect lives. For those who seek peace, truth, and the greatest of all,.. GOD'S LOVE!!!!!!!!!! "

The other day I was listening to the Christian Station, Life 100.3,  

The dj in the morning read a 'tweet'. 

(I don't use Twitter, and don't really care for it but this one caught my attention)

Michael W Smith, Christian singer, songwriter 'tweeted' the above quote. 

Now I listened to MWS when I was young and loved his music.  

He had great lyrics and fun songs.  

He is now not anywhere near the top of my music interests but he was a huge impact on introducing me to Christians in music.

I honestly still can't believe that he is out there singing and touring, but why not?  

he has a great voice, a hoarde of followers and solid truths to sing about.  

just because I don't listen to him anymore does not mean that he needed to retire - there would be a lot of artists retired if it was all up to who I listened to or not.... 

and it would be a little self-centered of me to think that i was really that important!

anyway, what I was really coming here to write about was his 'tweet'. 

is the church a shelter? somewhere for the tired, outcasts, imperfect?

well i would have to agree with MWS.  

it should be.  

unfortunately for many who have hurt, are hurting, or fall into any of the categories mentioned above, the church has failed. 

and I don't know how to change that.

i can make sure i can do my part.  let's not keep church as the social club it has become. 

does anyone else agree?  disagree? 

MWS, thank you for all you do.  and thank you for your words of inspiration.