Interesting things happen at church . . .

Now, in all fairness, I must make a disclaimer to go along with that statement. I’ve been in many churches for many years and that statement did not apply. Whether as a parishioner, pastor or pouter (discontented and outside the church), I can honestly state that interesting things did not happen. Fun things, bad things, hateful things, demeaning things, unpleasant things, well, you get the idea. “Interesting,” from a Kingdom perspective — never.

If you’ve read any of my stuff, you know that where I do church is Lifepoint. It is in this venue that I reference the above statement.

Two quick examples, both occuring yesterday.

First, a man who’s been a recluse for over a decade, who is terrified of public places, who has no friends, who has stated that “God doesn’t work,” asked me my recommendation for a Bible. So? He has been coming to Lifepoint for six weeks now, he no longer sits in the bleachers because of his fear of people, he knows the names of various folks at Lifepoint and they know his, he has signed up for  a smallgroup, and he wants to hear God.

Second, all this funky reading in Exodus and Leviticus I’ve been doing came crashing into reality during the singing yesterday. Again, so? The “boring” reading of all the sacrifices, all the blood, all the ritual in the intructions God gave the Israelites through Moses actually means something! 3500 years after it took place, it came alive for me in imagery and emotion during the singing. That is phenomenal! Please understand, I possess undergraduate, graduate and even post-graduate degrees, not only in Old Testament and in Hebrew, but in the Pentateuch itself –the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (yes, I was a boring individual in my younger, student days 🙂 ).

The God of Moses was at Lifepoint yesterday! Dang! Just think about that — it’ll mess with you in a big way. Doubt it? Either a) join my group that starts next Sunday night reading through the Bible, or b) hang out with me just a bit, or c) try a month of Sundays at Lifepoint.

I’ve got other examples — Eddie and miracles, Jeff playing Forest Gump, Chad knocking it out of the park with the music, the first time visitors, the doughnuts, etc.

The point is, church shouldn’t be boring or commonplace. It should be the most interesting, the most exciting place on the face of the earth. If yours isn’t, you’re missing life.