Midnight in Michigan

hey everyone,

its midnight here in michigan and winter fast approaches. it is that time of year when the glory of autumn has faded and is soon giving way to the dead look of winter.

(pic by Anna outside our house)

it is also that time of day(night) when i still have so much to do that i have not done during the day. so i instead have decided to work on a blog post. just thought i'd share a few thoughts about something i heard today. feel free to comment, correct, or criticize what i have to say, i'd like to hear every side of this issue.

today i was listening to christian radio (something i don't do alot) and i heard a pastor talking about how passion is missing in the church. what i heard was very brief, but began the "pondering process" which led me to write this. i began to think back to all the times growing up in church when i knew i was supposed to feel a passion about my faith, but didn't. when i knew i was supposed to be on fire (to show emotion) for Christ, but wasn't. i remember looking over and seeing some person waving their hands and crying at all the songs, listening to the sermon and soaking in everything the pastor had to say (and usually crying too).  there were always the people who would evangelize wherever they went. they would go to work, school, vacation, etc. and bring people to Christ. they would tell stories of talking to some guy on a park bench and telling him the great news of Salvation. i remember hearing, seeing, and being urged to be a part of all of this in...and never being able to bring myself to do it. i was missing the passion.

around the age of eleven began my walk with Jesus on my very own. i realized for the first the importance of having a relationship with God. as i grew further in my faith, i had ups and downs with my inner peace level. there were periods of time in which i felt very peaceful and very strong in my faith, other times i was ready to give up. the ups and downs came and went and i passed the next six years of my life growing up physically and spiritually, keeping my heart open and my inner feet moving all the time.

all this growth happened in my and i have yet to go up to a guy on a park bench and evangelize him. i have yet to take my faith "into action".

this summer i had the awesome experience of going to mount athos in greece.

  (the greek flag in the foreground, Athos in the back, pic by Anna from a boat)

 mount athos is inhabited entirely by monks living the monastic life of prayer. to an outsiders eye, they don't do much. they live in seclusion spending their entire lives praying. no Billy Graham-like (just to let everyone know i have nothing against Billy Graham) crusades or passionate worship services or even guys on park benches to talk to. they are secluded from the entire world. yet, through an amazing miracle, they have as much impact (if not more) through their prayers as the billy graham crusade. they never take their faith "into action", but still have that much impact.

so, where am i going with this? i am trying to convey the idea that maybe passion in the church goes beyond just showing emotion every sunday morning. maybe it means glorifying God through the natural talents He has given us, which may not include natural evangelizing skills. perhaps the passion the church is missing is in ordinary life. in the realization that everything can (and should) be done to the glory of God. maybe that is where our missing passion is.

please comment

peace

davis