I've not blogged for a bit...sorry. I'm back.
OK--to the point. Our house church (or "home church", if you prefer) meets Thursday nights in a home in Galloway, OH. We've been meeting for nearly 6 months, I would guess. It's been a great thing for us, that just got better. More real. More messy. More dependent on God.
I've been going through (listening on CD, actually) C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" over the last couple of months, and recently finished "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." In a climactic part of this book, young Eustace Scrubb discovers the lair of a recently deceased dragon. Overtaken by the immense treasure hoarded in the cave, Eustace undergoes a transformation in his sleep, and becomes a dragon himself. After going through some intense soul searching, Eustace comes to a point of seeking freedom from his enchantment, and attempts to remove his dragon shell. He "sheds" his skin a couple of times, but remains a dragon still. In his frustration, he listens to the voice of the great lion, Aslan, who says that Eustace needs his help to truly remove the dragon part of who Eustace had become. Immense pain was to follow for Eustace, as Aslan tore deep into his flesh, peeling off layer after layer, to reveal the boy that was inside the dragon. For Eustace, the transformation was the most painful thing that he'd ever gone through, but still the greatest day of his life, as Aslan rescued him from what he had become.
I feel that God has been doing this to me, personally, for a number of years. He has been taking off layer after layer, the more I surrender completely to him. It has been an extremely painful process, but so incredibly freeing.
"How does this relate to the home church?", you ask. I'm glad you asked. I feel that layers are being peeled off in that group as well, as a church. Our group comes from many backgrounds, where the "church" concept has taken many forms, wearing many different beastly shells. These shells are slowly, and painfully being removed, as we surrender more and more to our King, who is lovingly and ferociously (somehow simultaneous), peeling off layer after layer. We are beginning to understand more of what God has for us, as His church, returning to basic principles of scripture says the "church" is to be.
Freedom. Freedom is the best word to describe what is happening. I can't wait to see what will happen next on the Journey.
6 comments:
You hit the nail on the head! You summed it up perfectly! Very well said! Thanks, Ted!
Vicki
I'm so glad that you're a part of the Journey with us, Vicki! Thanks for checking in....
Samantha and I have been reading through Lewis's Narnia series, and we're currently reading "Dawn Treader". I wanted her to read/listen to as much as possible before the movies came out. Visual media can at times impair our imagination by presenting it to us on a platter.
Lewis has a great way of illustrating spiritual truth in the series so that young readers and listeners grasp the spiritual concepts.
His other works are gems, too.
I agree with you regarding the imagination bit. That being said, I generally am not a reader, therefore the audio-book thing is a GREAT thing for me...or maybe I'll come over and listen as you read with Samantha. I'll be quiet. Promise.
Awesome and exciting! We've heard about your great times meeting together and being vulnerable and honest with the Lord and each other. So rewarding to grasp that freedom that He wants to give. Someone recently challenged me with John 17:17...Sanctify (Change!) them by the truth; your word is truth. Truth = we are nothing without Him. (Heard Jeremy Camp's song yet? "I Am Nothing") Yet He thinks the world of us and can use us...amazing. Keep sharing...it's so encouraging as we all need to keep our hearts in that humble place.
Hey Krysty!
I hadn't heard the "I am Nothing" song yet. I just listened to the 30 second on iTunes...sounds like a great song that sums it up.
Thanks for the encouragement...
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