It's Auburn vs. Alabama, and naturally everyone has to pick a side. So, which side would Jesus pick? Is it such a ludicrous question to ask?
How did you pick? Well, both teams have traditions, songs, mascots, uniforms, etc. etc. Univ. of Alabama has a bar, restaurant, four or five apartment complexes, and another bar with "Traditions" in the title. Auburn fans think God has to be an Auburn fan because the sky becomes orange and blue at sunset.
Maybe you were raised in your family to follow one side and loathe the other, as many generations before you had done. Maybe you just liked the colors and went from there. Maybe it was a particular creed or value represented by that university that spoke to you. Maybe your significant other was going there and forced your hand.
Through some cruel (but wonderful, dear) twist of fate, my marriage is one of those "mixed" ones - I am Auburn and Keller is Alabama. My parents before me were the same way. So I feel like I've seen both sides of the fence. What a tall fence it is, by the way.
Regardless of how you picked your school, it's obvious that both schools have their differences. But they're both still universities. They're both for education. The intent is to enroll & leave with experiences and learning that prepare you to go out into the world and do whatever you want to do with it.
Do you think that churches within Christianity can be viewed the same?
What I mean is, when you pick a church, each church has it's own traditions, dress, attitudes, approaches, etc. Even within denominations. But again, despite the differences, the intent is to be educated and go out into the world.
Sometimes I think we get too wrapped up with our differences that we neglect to see what really matters. In the case of the Iron Bowl, do you watch because you hate the other team and want them to be humiliated (guilty in the past) or to watch a great game between storied rivals with respect?
At first I wanted to say Jesus would root for neither. But I think he would root for both. Kind of like if you're a parent with kids playing each other. You want them both to try. Someone's going to win and someone will lose. Just don't throw in any cheap shots.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
Brilliant Church (Leaving Atlanta pt.2)
As I spent more time involved in this church, a community
which I had both actively and unconsciously avoided, I slowly began to see
little bits of brilliance unfurl.
The first was my own transformation… well, perhaps that is a
strong word, but definitely a change. I
had decided to own up to change, to step forward & activate this part of my
life. This can be seen in the letter of intent. I became involved in
investing back to others who were also new and volunteering for leadership
opportunities. Before I knew it, I had
basically become one of those who I had previously scoffed at.
The second and most dramatic change was the friendships that
were forged; one in particular was with a pretty girl from Louisiana who would
eventually become my wife. That is a whole
other story :)
But perhaps the most prolific impact the church experience
has had on my faith did not directly have anything to do with me at all. Since being involved in a church became
important to me, I began to notice all of the amazing things happening amongst
my peers. Many of my examples are
related to North Atlanta, but several also refer to others in other churches
with other names and other Christian denominations.
Such as…
So many people my age deciding to give up the American life
and move somewhere else. Happily, there
are so many I won’t be able to remember them all. A friend of mine (name excluded due to
censorship concerns) is relocating his new family to the China / N. Korea
border. Katie J moved to Bolivia to be a
teacher. Chris & Sarah and their
daughter live in Kenya and help run an orphanage & minister to the kids
there.
Jana moved to Beijing and it’s her daily objective simply to
strike up conversations with the numerous locals about faith. Apparently so many people there yearn for
answers, but there are so few resources to show them the way. Jana is now one of them.
Keller’s aunt & uncle Mark & Jamie Klee moved to
Swaziland in Africa with their 3 kids.
Sold the nice house in Alpharetta and said adios. Now, they run a cabinet shop, assist on a
commercial farm, run a home for abandoned or orphaned babies, and are working
on launching a local-made jewelry business.
Apparently they are about to run into a labor shortage from the local
community and will be searching for additional help, in a country with one of
the world’s highest unemployment rates.
This isn’t one of those guilty “sell all and move to Africa”
type of missives (no offense Klees.) For
every crazy international story I’ve heard, I could tell a local one. Live your life wherever you want, as long as
it’s dedicated to God.
I was touched during my years in Atlanta how many
incredible people I met. At one time or another I interacted
personally with all of these people in Atlanta, whether it was at church, small
group, a meal, or even playing kickball. But Christians
(and those listed above) will attribute all of the life changing stories to
God. All of the amazing accomplishments and lives touched by these people represent God interacting with our lives. This is what Christians believe... this is one way to show love... this is one way show God.
Whats the point of all of this writing. The point is, I had gone from one extreme to
the other. A skeptic to a believer.
Church wasn’t for me. actually… I belong here.
I’m not like them. actually… I’m the same.
I’m too sophisticated/smart/cool. actually… So are they. Maybe even smarter.
I can go my own way and be fine. actually… I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to be a part of a community because
they are the ones actually going somewhere.
That’s my story. We will miss Atlanta, but this city provided us with the push we needed - and the examples to follow. Thank you.
Why I Went to Church (Leaving Atlanta pt.1)
When I moved to
Atlanta I had to finally act on something that I had been putting off for a
while. I wanted to get back in to going to church regularly. I had
no personal friends or any frames of reference at the time of where to go.
So, naturally I went to Google. The largest one that appeared to have
people my age (20's, single) was North Atlanta Church of
Christ.
In retrospect I
don't know what my goals were. For several weeks I went and sat in the
balcony, enjoying the atmosphere. I'd show up a little late so I could
avoid talking to people, but then I found out that it became difficult to find a
seat without climbing over people, so I started coming a little earlier.
(Apparently most people at NACC show up about 5 minutes after the start time; 5
minutes before it's half empty, 5 minutes after it's completely full.) I
felt pretty self-satisfied about the experience overall. I had a routine
where I could slide in and out with minimal interactions. Afterwards I'd
treat myself to a solo Sunday lunch and go home in good spirits.
That could only last
for a matter of time though. After a couple of months I started feeling
comfortable and began to wonder about the other people there, especially my
age. I wasn't outgoing. I was not a "church person." I had
little interest in walking up to a group of people and announcing that I was the
new kid in town, like some people can do. I had fooled my employer into
thinking I was that kind of "Type A" personality so I could get a sales job in
the big city, but I wasn't ready to put myself out there socially.
I needed a
push. A sunday service passed and I decided on the spot I wasn't going to
go out on a limb and look for people. Apparently someone noticed. I
was sitting in my ultra-secure, secret balcony spot. I'd been attending
for about 2 months. A single lady in her 50's sat next to me and took it
upon herself to speak to me. She told me that there was a large singles
group at the church, pointed out where they sat, and gave me the room number of
the class they met in after the service.
Now I really didn't
have an excuse. But, if I didn't have that little push I probably would
have continued to made excuses that would have delayed or stopped me from
continuing down my path. So, I'm thankful for her, whoever she was.
Ha. An angel?
So, the next Sunday,
I took the leap and waltzed into this singles class at the church. It was
awkward, but only because I didn't know anyone. Before the class starts
everyone kind of mills around, gets coffee, and has conversations. A dude
noticed I was just kind of standing around and spoke to me. I told him I
was new and he was nice enough to talk to me for a while. I made a
contact. The next few weeks I would show back up, slowly getting to know
others. Eventually, I was invited to a small group that met Sunday nights
and really became more than just a "visitor."
As I began to get to
know the people that were a part of this Young Adults group (as it is called) I
started to realize I held some heavy pre-conceived notions and
prejudices. I had convinced myself that I would never really fit
in at a church. I assumed that the people who went were some other kind of
breed of people who were different. As in, maybe they somehow experienced
some kind of sheltered, not-practical, not-normal life. Like "they" were
going to be too bland, boring, or simple, or some other adjective that I thought
was not going mesh well with me. As if I was so much more cultured, suave,
exciting.
It's funny that the popular saying is that people who go to church "think they are better than everyone else." In my case it was the exact opposite. I'm pretty sure I thought "I am better than them."
It's funny that the popular saying is that people who go to church "think they are better than everyone else." In my case it was the exact opposite. I'm pretty sure I thought "I am better than them."
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