Two Thoughts

Two quick thoughts....

First, I was "evangelized" on the train on my way to work this morning. I was as is normal for the first half of my trip smushed between several people, and I had my arm over a small asian lady's shoulder, trying to hold on to something that I could actually reach. (At 5'2", the hand holds from the ceiling aren't a very viable option.) I was wearing headphones, listening to a worship mix on my ipod, and trying to prepare myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the day ahead. All of a sudden the little (and I do mean little, she was a head shorter than me) asian lady reaches into her bag, and whips halfway around, holding the object out to me. "You want this?"

Now let me just say that I had already established, without ever speaking to this woman, that she was likely a Christian of some variety or other. She was holding an obviously well-used Bible in her arms, waiting for a chance for a seat so she could read. The object she was so suddenly holding out to me happenend to be a CD of a sermon from a local church. I politely declined to accept the CD, hoping that this would end the conversation. Instead she demanded, "Are you already a Christian?"

Seeing no hope for it, I answered yes, again hoping that this would end the conversation.

Instead, she demanded, "What church you go to?" And now I knew I was in a pickle, because my church does not have a nice normal churchy name that people recognize. (And just keep in mind that I was in fact touching another person on every side. This was the c-train at rush hour.) Again I answered quietly with the name of my church. "Epic." "What kind of church is that?" she demanded. "I'm sorry...?" "Is it evangelical?" Finally a question I could answer the way she wanted to hear. An answer that would end the conversation. "Yes." "What kind of a name is Epic? It should be 'Church of Christ' or 'Christ our Lord.' Those are good names for a church."

How does one answer this one? It is 7:30am, on a packed train, and there was not way I was even going to attempt to explain a church name that I'm not sure even I understand. So I shrugged, and again declined to accept the CD she was still waving at me.

"Do you have a friend who's pentecostal?" Now that one caught me off guard. What the heck kind of a question is that!? "Umm... yes." "You take this and give to them."

I conceeded defeat, accepted the CD, thanked her politely for the gift which I slipped into my bag, and she, somewhat mollified turned back around. I accepted the sympathetic looks of a number of fellow passengers who had watched this mini drama playing out in front of them with the grateful eyes of people who are not being accosted in the early morning quiet with some sort of purposeful evangelism. And I disembarked because we had reached my stop.

So, I've been evangelized. Don't you feel good about me? My boss, when I described the scene over lunch at work wondered if we're no evangelizing "within the fold." And are you all praying for me because I have a pentecostal friend? You should you know. I could end up becoming one!

Now that the sarcasm is out of the way, my second thought is somewhat more serious. All day yesterday and today, as I grieved, and prayed, and wept, and laughed, I have not been able to escape this scripture. I have no idea what to do with it, but it is one of those profound thoughts that refuses to go unrecorded.

"The stone the builder's rejected has become the capstone."

Tomorrow night we gather to pray and be in scripture. If you're in Calgary and would like to join us, call or email sometime tomorrow. If you can't join us, please, pray for and with us.

When did that happen?

Megs and I were watching Grey's Anatomy, and one of the lines from one of the episodes stuck with me in a big way.

"I'm an adult! When did that happen? And how do I make it stop?"

Yep. Been feeling that one lately. Missing the non-decision making, limited responsibility days of childhood as I'm in the midst of a number of transitions, and a number of trying situations.

When did I become an adult? And how do I make it stop?

joy comes in the mourning

Today has been thus far a day of weeping. Some things inside me are dead. And I've realized that, and grieved. I cried all the makeup right off my face this morning, then looked at a friend and remarked that I was glad I took the time to put it on so carefully before I left home. We laughed together, she, her husband and I.

I am mourning some things, and I am hurting. But there are tiny little bits of joy. And I'm praying and believing that they will root and grow and bear fruit in my life. That although some things are dead, there are new things being born.

I spent the morning and much of the afternoon grieving the dead and dying things. I wept, I couldn't eat, I couldn't find the energy to really laugh, even in the funny moments. And now I'm off to celebrate the impending birth of a friend's child. To laugh and eat and enjoy the company of some girls I've worked with over the last year. To celebrate the baby that will be born soon.

An odd, juxtaposed sort of day. The kind that has left me full of thoughts and empty of words.

joy comes in the mourning.

mumbling, bumbling and other incoherence

It's been one of those introverted, not too much happening, thinking way too much kind of weeks. I can't quite believe that I haven't posted since last Sunday, but I haven't actually spent very much time at my computer (at least my home computer) this week.

I'm fumbling, bumbling, and mumbling under my breath as I wander through the maze of considering a change in churches. My church has entered a "transition" stage for what has to be at least the third time in the three years I've been attending. Not that transition is in any way bad - it's more that this particular phase of transitioning has reignited a number of questions and concerns that have been lying quiet and dormant for much of the last six months.

Some days I miss the whole not hearing from God thing. Other days I wish I could hear Him with the clarity I hear my mom telling me to wash dishes, or my dad asking me to clean up the yard after our dog so he can mow the back lawn. Most days I live somewhere in between not hearing at all and hearing with clear understanding. The infinite inbetweenness.

Rainy weather is bad for my state of mind when I'm already in a wrestling, mumbling, overthinking kind of phase. And the weather has been rainy since Wednesday morning. Pouring rain, grey skies with little to distinguish sunrise from sunset - mostly just soggy greyness everywhere. The streets, the sky, the whole world has felt grey this week.

Before the rain, on Tuesday night I went to a house concert in some friend's backyard. The band (Jacob and Lily - check them out - fabulous!) played under an apple tree decorated with twinkle lights and paper lanterns. I sat and simply soaked. Let the tension from too much thinking drain off a little, enjoyed the music, and enjoyed watching my friends enjoy the music. I love how many different ways there are for body language to communicate relaxation, enjoyment, concentration. Every person there a little different, but everyone seeming to have a great time. This event had to be by far one of the coolest things I've done this summer. Right up there with spending a day with Megs in the mountains. Sitting in mountain cirque in the sun and taking in the creation.

And one of Karla's CDs has been the perfect soundtrack for my introspective, overthinking, mellow, grey weather mood. I loaded it on my ipod the morning after the concert and have listened to it nearly every day on my commute to and from work.

So here's a question - what do you look for in a church community? I've been thinking and praying and thinking and praying, trying to figure out next steps, and I have no idea. I have some vague notions of what things are important to me, and even some clear ideas, but I have no idea how to make a decision about changing, or even what things I need to think about. I grew up in the church my dad pastored, and stumbled in my current church community completely by accident. I haven't so much had to think about these sorts of things before. So I'm really asking all of you blog readers for your insights.

Keep praying for us. Tuesday night the first batch of friends is gathering at my home to barbeque and to pray and be in scripture together. This is a dream beginning to play out, and I feel helpless and nervous. As much as I crave genuine community, it scares me to death. I'm pretty up front with my flaws, with my mumblings and bumblings, but it still scares me to commit to always being honest about those things. To share all of them, not just the ones I can make funny or pretty. But it's something God has placed so heavily on me - a calling to live a genuine life before Him and the world. Most days I fail miserably. Most days I don't remember that I'm trying to live out a God calling, and I live a "Lisa" calling. But I really do want so much more out of this... Pray for us, that we will push through and genuinely be open with each other, that we will genuinely seek the heart of God as we gather.

Walking and Praying

I went for a walk tonight. This is almost unheard of behaviour for me. I am the stereotypical bookworm academic. I am much happier curled up in a chair than moving around. It was made especially atypical by the fact that I represented the Bay at a local bridal expo today, and was on my feet far more than is usual, and they were sore after my shift ended.

I came home from the expo, watched another episode or two of the West Wing, and realized that I needed to create some space to do some thinking and praying. And that I needed to walk, and to be in nature to do it. So I gathered up my ipod, purse, car keys, sunglasses and cell phone (no one said I had to rough it to be in nature), hopped in the car and drove myself to Fish Creek Park.

For the next half-hour or so I simply walked and soaked. I played a Jason Upton cd through the ipod and just walked. There was a deer on my path at one point - so close I could have almost touched it before it ran away into the bushes. The clouds were beautiful, the air was crisp, the birds were everywhere, and there were very few people. So I walked and worshipped and prayed a little. Mostly I needed to make sure I took the time to soak in the presence of God. I felt like there was space to breath. There was freedom. I think that God propelled me from my couch into the park to see a bigger picture again. To be reminded of the beauty in His creation, the vastness of who He is. To draw my attention from the narrow situation that I've focused on to Him. As I was driving there I was thinking about how desperately I needed to find a human being to talk through this situation in great depth with, picking apart every aspect until I found just the right words to communicate my heart and solve everything. As soon as I thought that, I felt God reminding me that I really needed to talk with Him about this situation. That it is His. So I walked, and I breathed, and I soaked, and I prayed. My mind was quite for at least the entire first loop. I simply noticed my surroundings and soaked in the music and presence of God. The second loop I began to pray a little, and then I was done.

I'm in the midst of a difficult situation yet again. I'm working on writing a piece that God has laid clearly on my heart to communicate to some of those involved in the situation. It's not been easy, and is probably why I needed to walk and pray.

So here's what my week looks like: My last shift at the Bay as a full-time employee is tomorrow. Tomorrow night Megs and my brother and I are going to see Starfield play and hear David Nasser speak. Tuesday I start my new job full-time, and Tuesday night is a house concert that I'm attending. The rest of the week will be pretty quiet and restful as I begin to adapt to my new job and use the evenings to take it easy, and to continue writing this piece.

Pray for me this week as I am studying scripture and writing. I want desperately to hear God clearly and communicate His heart in this situation.

Pray for me too, as I begin meeting in the next weeks with a group of friends to worship, pray, and study scripture together on a regular basis. I have been dreaming of this somewhat quietly for a long time - a God dream hidden deep that is beginning to come to frution. We desire to meet God intimately as we meet with each other, to honor Him and and invite His presence and His kingdom among us.

And with that, I'm off to bed - to read scripture, pray a bit more, and sleep.