So, we made it to church this morning (YAY!) 30 minutes ahead of start time. So what does one do for 30 minutes when it's the second time they have been to the church for service? Well besides say "Hello" to the people we know and be welcomed by others, I flipped open The Hubs' Bible (we only take 1 to service...when we remember...) and flipped around a few times before I hit the book of Jonah. His Bible is a men's devotional and has neat explanations at the beginning of each chapter and occassionally throughout the book.
Anyways, so I read the book of Jonah before church. (This is not written to impress.) I had forgotten how short the book of Jonah was. Anyways, it hit home. How many times are we Jonah? How many times has God called us to do something and we turn away? Yes, the first part is huge and great teaching tool for kids (and adults). So often, we get caught up and forget that it's not about US, but about him. The Hubs and I recently dealt/are dealing with this. We moved, but wanted to attend a church like the one we went to at the old place. Our list for a church was long. I'm not kidding....not that the list changed much from when we were looking before, but let's be honest, the old place had a lot more options. Not because it was more in the Bible Belt, it wasn't but because not only did we have our town, but also a larger city near by. Here, we have mainly our town.
We tried four churches (I know that doesn't sound like alot, but it covered the basics around here.). Church 1 and 2 were the same denomination as the one we had been members of at the old house, but are VERY, very traditional churches. Church 3 is a more contemporary church (more our style), full of diverse people, but a realitively new church...oh and is Southern Baptist. Church 4 is also contemporary church, full of families and diverse people and is kinda a non-denominational church..kinda...it's hard to describe without letting the name out. Anyways, we hadn't really been impressed. Not because they weren't great churches, because they were. They just weren't our church.
When we visited with our old pastor, he made a profound statement that we need to pick a church for it's heart and get involved. That through involvement, we would find ways to make it what we wanted. (Not by force or anything for us, but to bring God's glory to it). I was deeply touched that he thought we could make that big of a difference. However, it brought back the fact that when we moved here, it wasn't just my job that I felt God calling me here for, but something more. Something to do with bring more young adults to God and finding a good community for the Hubs and I.
Since then, the Hubs and I have talked about the words our pastor said and the churches we visited. We have pretty much decided on a church. This church is a church seeking God. It's not big, and not the "popular" church in town. But it's a church that loves God and loves God's people. The church offers many free community events to help those who are less fortunate, not in third world countries, but in our own town.
But these side steps, even though they displease God are part of our journey. God still gets mad that we make these side steps.
The big piece that gets missed with the story of Jonah is when he follows God's word and gets angry at God for giving to grace to those he doesn't feel deserves it. And then gets mad at God when "God lets the vine die". How many times have gotten "angry" with God because he showed grace to others? Maybe those others were less deserving in our eyes, maybe they always received grace, or maybe we don't really like them (probably not a good thing for us, but let's be honest here..). Who are we that we should get to judge and decide who deserves God's grace? Why do we get mad when we expect things to stay good and alive without spending time on them and cultivating them?
How often do we EXPECT God's grace in all things rather than are GRATEFUL for his grace? How often do we sin and think "Oh well, God will forgive me. It's not like he hasn't in the past."? It never really states in Jonah that he learned from the lesson of the vine or his response to God's word of questioning. My guess is that he immediately thought back to being in the belly of the fish and felt foolish that he had judged Nineveh. That he thought of God's grace and was grateful for the times it had been given to him.
The Hubs' Bible had a blurb on this that when we judge others and feel that they are not worthy of God's forgiveness and grace, we are lessening the power of his forgiveness and grace. His forgiveness and grace is for all, despite our pasts, independent of our futures. All he asks for is faith in Son and the belief that his Son died and rose again. All he wants is to love and commune with us. How often do we judge others for their sin when we are all sinners and all fall short?
Just some thoughts, from a 30 minute reading before service....
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