Open Church

I got the opportunity this summer to serve in a ministry that was one of the most amazing things I've ever been apart of. SLI was amazing but I am talking about my Sunday in "A Step Closer" the Recovery Ministry's Sunday worship service. I know that us SLIer's got to share our life stories which was truly a powerful thing, but ASC, really got a hold of me.

ASC is how I envision Sundays to be, in my dreams we are all able to respond to the music, respond to the teaching, asking questions, singing right along and if we feel led to dance. Standing up in front of these folks was just so powerful and awe inspiring. They're Christians they love on their brothers and sisters in Christ they come before the lord and dance undignified in front of him.

It was so powerful when people started standing up and had more personal prayer requests than the normal. I'm not saying that asking for healing from sickness isn't important, but these folks were talking about the unmentionable diseases that have rotted our society. Alcoholism, Dependence on Drugs, sexual addiction, the unmentionables that are just like leprosy in JC's day. When someone becomes dependent on drugs, alcohol, or sexual sin we as a christian community kind of shield ourselves from them. But that should be openly accepted and worked on as one body of believers. If we didn't shame everyone and their sins, would it be so hard to admit them, and to grow from and away from them.

My friends and I towards the end of the summer had a new saying, someone would start the conversation on a deeper level than it had been going then would get shied away from continuing down that path. So if it was a small group or one on one someone would call them out by saying "open church." I got called out many times, as did others. It helped remind us that our lives are not our own, that we need friends and prayer for our lives, and if we are struggling 1 reed is not as strong as 3 or 7 or 10. I believe in the power of being open honest and real with each other, it can not be forced, it must be developed. The friendships at the end of the summer, were just that products of the summer. These were folks who I was beginning to trust, and folks that I would do anything for. On my last night with these folks only one song came into my mind "Gift" now many of you don't know this song, in fact I think I have one of the three or so recordings of this piece, but in it there is a line the goes "I would give my last, my very last breath, to you, to you" It's not a love song of your normal portions it is the love of best friends, the love that's been built over years and years, and the product of forgiving each other in each individual failure and the product of being someone that each individual can rely on for no matter what time of the day or night.

So go forth and practice this, practice loving each other through everything, and personalize open church within your group of friends that you will be able to truly hear everything. And remember not to judge those who lay their lives out there, and don't be afraid when someone calls you out on open church.

May the God of Gods be with you, the lord of lords watch over you, and the king of kings bless you and yours all the days of your life.