outwards

Where does the rubber meet the road?  How does my faith in Christ affect my life?  How does what I have learned through the Word and Spirit change me and my mission?  Am I living what I believe?  If I'm not living it, do I really believe it?

Maybe these are some hard questions for you, as they are for me.  None of them are easily answered.  But today I was reminded of the awesome place I am at in my life, physically and spiritually...right in the middle of some "messy Grace."  And I'm not just living in it, but wallowing in it!  For me, the concept of grace is incredibly hard to grasp.  As a recipient, I'm flabbergasted, often left with no words to describe how I feel about this gift from my God.  As a giver, I stink at it.  My selfishness is brutal.  And so this is where it gets messy.  In spite of me and my selfishness, God has promised to bring to completion the work that he started in me.  He didn't start it, see me and my sin, and then quit.  He's promised to never leave, nor forsake me, but to take me through to the end, no matter how messy it gets along the way.  So we pray for the bonds of selfishness to be broken and the characteristics of grace to shine through, according to the measure of Christ's gift.  Then I believe we'll start to see some answers to the questions above.

I am encouraged regularly.  I am thankful to live in the middle of a spiritual community that encourages discipleship, evangelism, and Kingdom attitudes and lifestyles.  I'm thankful to see transformed lives and to be in the middle of the mess, in ministry, in community, pursuing the Glory and Honor deserving of Christ Jesus.  This is where we see grace at work and get a taste of just how messy it can be.

I found this video today about a church based in Tacoma, WA called Soma Communities.  Most, if not all, of what the pastor explains is also found at the core of the Paz church model.  Enjoy, but prepare your heart for a challenge and some introspection.

JAE