I am currently writing a message for an upcoming event in our ministry life, and thought I could air it out with no thought of structure but just to rant it out. In other words, this is me speaking here. I needed to push some thoughts out of my head and unpack some of the words in my head. If your the one person reading this, please comment, add your own part to this message.  The message is a short passionate plea to our 6-8 grade students on a day when we merge the 6th graders into the main fold of middle school. They have been in incubation for almost 6 months, and we program an entire service in that honor. The name of the message ” WE ARE LIFT”.So while this is not complete not may it make any sense let me explain what is in my head.

The Premise

Having all of our students in one room on a Sunday morning for the first of the year is something we work towards all year. The 6th grade merge day at LIFT ,our weekly service for middle school students, last year produced such needed energy in the middle of the school year and severed to bring momentum in the community. This day is a the day once again to make the declaration from God to men that we are the church, in essence we are LIFT.  Rocket Science it is actually. Why? Well to continue planting seeds and turning on the light bulbs in hopes that as they develop, take hold, and understand this ideal way of life, God’s design for the word church, is never ending. The language must always be challenged and questions must be rephrased, but that’s the challenge we signed up for, and the moments where the Spirit connects is truly incredible!

With this day we launch the discussion again. No, change that , we launch a campaign that I continually believe has the power through His Spirit to turn switches on light bulbs, ignite flames into full on blazes, produce gardens of the most incredible fruit, and continue to build the movement that shows Jesus to the world. I live in atmospheres where the church in my own family has taken the hit of all hits. The church has an advocate and his name is Jesus. The church has its leader, his name is Jesus. The church will not fail, the reason, Jesus.  We continue to act like we need to build churches for those who don’t like church, but church is church for a reason. It is the biggest most jacked up mystery in my life. Sin filled people form the most unlikely of communities because of Jesus…and yet we feel for that reason the church will fail. I was hurt at church. I was kicked out of church. I was left out of church. I was made to feel alone at church. I was told to change at church. I could not worship at church. I was fired by the church. I was locked out of the church. I was not served at the church. Anyone else have a stone to add not to throw in this line of commenting, because I could not agree more. It has all happened and will happen again. The church has been given its walking papers so many times in my own family and circle of friends, but like a phoenix it continues to rise out of those colossal sin created human meltdowns in the system and respond, because Jesus overcomes it all. Ask me to coffee sometime and ask me why I should be completely unconnected from the church. Yet I still believe the church is the voice of Jesus to all of humanity. That voice does is not dependent simply on human ideas and our ability to market a better church, yet even more simply scripture is smacking my face with the fact that is moves on the basis of the Holy Spirit changing our hearts, our minds eye, and our deepest belief in what He is doing with our life, rather than trying to deeply obey for the sake of being in good standing.

Another generation will get this message and will make choices to advance it or to hold it back, the irony. They will never hold it back, he takes all comers, and as the Christmas story was revealed again by one of speakers the other night…he makes something out of nothing.

We are LIFT when we are energy in motion that moves the Jesus in our hearts, our lips, and our services to the 4 corners of our influences…..

more to come….