Nothing and Everything
"This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
I wish this were easier to live out. Truly I do. The world would be transformed if we loved one another. Even if only the Christians around the world loved one another, the world would be unrecognizable. If only husbands and wives loved one another this way, the world would be changed, if families loved this way. If anyone could learn to love the way God intends us to love, the world would be His Kingdom come and His will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
It's just way harder than it sounds. I mean we struggle to love the people we really do love. We aren't sure we love our spouses sometimes! Maybe our kids?! Certainly our neighbors are iffy. Strangers? Big Stretch. Enemies? Hard pass.
I started this new endeavor because I know, I mean I know as rightly as I know my own name that loving in the way Christ intends for me to love is outside of my skill set. I cannot love my enemies. I'm sorry to confess that to you.
This journey began so that I, just me, might begin a journey to grow greater in Christian love. I need to start somewhere. I have prayed. No, I have lamented. (Like bury yourself in the psalms and cry out to Jesus lamented) my deepest desires for Christian fellowship and my thirsting to share His word, to break it open in study, in praise, on retreats, in song, in prayer with other Christians that I might grow in Christian love, through Christian Fellowship that comes from living a life in common.
I knew this deeply committed Christian life once. It was the strongest, happiest, most challenging part of my faith walk so far and I miss it. I miss the me that I was then. I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you right upfront that I seek to create that anew.
Maybe this is the answer to my prayer. Maybe it's just a thought process that leads me to the next one and God will take me to a new place from there. I don't know. But I believe I'm supposed to start something and I guess this is it.
Mary-Elizabeth, this mother to mother support group I am trying to create, is the first iteration of this endeavor. It is to this Christian Community idea, what the Mark I was to Tony Stark in Ironman, it's a beginning.
As I cast these thoughts and prayers into the deep water what I hear back from people I know is, "yes". Women need this. But then they say, "And our husbands need this too." "Our kids need this too." A place for families to connect in this deeply personal way.
So Mary-Elizabeth may only be a part or it may be the whole enchilada, I have no idea. It's really not in my control. I'm open to more, much more but God will have to grow it because I do not have a green thumb.
This little blog is the first hint of something. A wisp of an idea presented as a blog post. A small Christian Community, a group where Christian families from different faith backgrounds come together to live life, in friendship and in common. To support one another and look after one another in faith, hope, love and trust without divisions within the Body of Christ that would separate us and distract us.
It's not Church. It's not meant to replace Church, it cannot replace Church. It doesn't have a theology. It's something else. What it is, is not entirely understood. I only know what it's not. It's not a Church and it's not a cult. There is no kool-aid being served. Adhere to the tenets of your own faith and we will encourage you to be the very best (fill in the blank) you can be.
So there it is. Love One Another, John 13:35. It's not a lot and it feels like everything.
I wish this were easier to live out. Truly I do. The world would be transformed if we loved one another. Even if only the Christians around the world loved one another, the world would be unrecognizable. If only husbands and wives loved one another this way, the world would be changed, if families loved this way. If anyone could learn to love the way God intends us to love, the world would be His Kingdom come and His will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
It's just way harder than it sounds. I mean we struggle to love the people we really do love. We aren't sure we love our spouses sometimes! Maybe our kids?! Certainly our neighbors are iffy. Strangers? Big Stretch. Enemies? Hard pass.
This journey began so that I, just me, might begin a journey to grow greater in Christian love. I need to start somewhere. I have prayed. No, I have lamented. (Like bury yourself in the psalms and cry out to Jesus lamented) my deepest desires for Christian fellowship and my thirsting to share His word, to break it open in study, in praise, on retreats, in song, in prayer with other Christians that I might grow in Christian love, through Christian Fellowship that comes from living a life in common.
I knew this deeply committed Christian life once. It was the strongest, happiest, most challenging part of my faith walk so far and I miss it. I miss the me that I was then. I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you right upfront that I seek to create that anew.
Maybe this is the answer to my prayer. Maybe it's just a thought process that leads me to the next one and God will take me to a new place from there. I don't know. But I believe I'm supposed to start something and I guess this is it.
Mary-Elizabeth, this mother to mother support group I am trying to create, is the first iteration of this endeavor. It is to this Christian Community idea, what the Mark I was to Tony Stark in Ironman, it's a beginning.
As I cast these thoughts and prayers into the deep water what I hear back from people I know is, "yes". Women need this. But then they say, "And our husbands need this too." "Our kids need this too." A place for families to connect in this deeply personal way.
So Mary-Elizabeth may only be a part or it may be the whole enchilada, I have no idea. It's really not in my control. I'm open to more, much more but God will have to grow it because I do not have a green thumb.
It's not Church. It's not meant to replace Church, it cannot replace Church. It doesn't have a theology. It's something else. What it is, is not entirely understood. I only know what it's not. It's not a Church and it's not a cult. There is no kool-aid being served. Adhere to the tenets of your own faith and we will encourage you to be the very best (fill in the blank) you can be.
So there it is. Love One Another, John 13:35. It's not a lot and it feels like everything.
❤️ and what a beautiful thing it is!!
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