I've quit snorkeling!

So there I was hovering near the surface of the ocean called church community. I could see the committed Josh Genners deep-sea diving, fully submerged and completely engaged with each other and the life under the ocean. "No thanks," I thought defensively. "It's not for me, this deep-sea diving. I've tried it before and I nearly drowned. Not again, never!" So I looked on from the surface of the water, feeling safe but sensing the distance...and the emptiness.

The last five years have challenged my take on church community. I've come 'unstuck' at three different church families, because of hurt and disappointments. There's no need to share details. Suffice to say that I visited Josh Gen for two months, not only with my snorkeling gear on, but also with my bullet-proof vest!

Then came the moment of enormous spiritual significance for me, a moment I did not anticipate. While snorkeling in my usual spot one Sunday night at Josh Gen, there was a call for people to come forward if they had been hurt in church communities before and were holding back as a result. My heart pounded and my feet moved forward on 'automatic'. The breakthrough prayer that someone prayed with me, left me feeling physically lighter (maybe something to do with that bullet-proof vest coming off?). This feeling continued through to the Monday. I knew that I knew that my snorkeling gear had been destroyed and I had been handed the full set of deep-sea diving equipment. Yahoo - thank you, Jesus!

If, like me, you have been bruised by church community, consider God: Consider that He is bigger than your bruises. Consider that He desires for you to be fully involved in a church community where you can learn to love His people and be loved in return. Then consider yourself: Consider that you have been made by God with unique gifts that need to be shared with His people. Consider that you are a part of a body and that no one else can quite be the part that you are.

Be brave, step out and ask for someone to pray with you for God to come and set you free from all that is holding you back from becoming committed to a church community. God will meet you and do the work in you that only He is able to do.

So here I am, deep-sea diving in the ocean called church community. Let the adventures in God begin! Gloeg, gloeg...