Encounter
We're becoming a community where all people encounter Jesus Christ...
That word, "encounter," is a very important word as well, because to "encounter" something is to cause change, disruption, perhaps a new and different direction. We're not just interested in people meeting Jesus, as if he were a famous person or a nice guy to have coffee with. We're not interested in having people see Jesus, as if he were an historical artifact to look at from behind glass. We want people to encounter Jesus, to be changed by being in his presence, to come away from every moment spent with him headed in a (hopefully) better direction for their life.
Last week, I got to spend a beautiful week along the shores of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. What a gorgeous view awaited me every morning as I got up. The lake glistens with the sun shining down on it. And it was even better to look at it seated comfortably in a beach chair sitting along the shore. I could admire the view. I could talk about its beauty. I could even discuss the qualities of the water (appears very blue today, seems to be sparkling, looks cold...). I knew about the lake. I admired the lake. I had seen the lake. But I hadn't encountered it until I got in it.
And when I did get in, it changed me. For one thing, it was cold in many places, so my body had to adapt. And it was deep in other places. Now, I can't swim...at all. I don't swim, I sink. So to be able to fully enjoy the lake, I had to be aware of where I was getting in too deep and trust that someone was going to be there to hold onto me if I did go too far (and someone was!). The lake changed me because I encountered it. I learned about trust, for one thing. But had I only sat on the shore and admired it, I would never have learned anything.
Our calling is to help people encounter Jesus Christ, not just to have them look at him from the shore. We are called to dive in, to trust, to see what he has to teach us. Too many people come to worship for "the show," to be entertained or made to feel good. But worship and church is about an encounter with the living savior who can and will change each and every one of us. We're not called to observation. We're called to an encounter!
That word, "encounter," is a very important word as well, because to "encounter" something is to cause change, disruption, perhaps a new and different direction. We're not just interested in people meeting Jesus, as if he were a famous person or a nice guy to have coffee with. We're not interested in having people see Jesus, as if he were an historical artifact to look at from behind glass. We want people to encounter Jesus, to be changed by being in his presence, to come away from every moment spent with him headed in a (hopefully) better direction for their life.
Last week, I got to spend a beautiful week along the shores of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. What a gorgeous view awaited me every morning as I got up. The lake glistens with the sun shining down on it. And it was even better to look at it seated comfortably in a beach chair sitting along the shore. I could admire the view. I could talk about its beauty. I could even discuss the qualities of the water (appears very blue today, seems to be sparkling, looks cold...). I knew about the lake. I admired the lake. I had seen the lake. But I hadn't encountered it until I got in it.
And when I did get in, it changed me. For one thing, it was cold in many places, so my body had to adapt. And it was deep in other places. Now, I can't swim...at all. I don't swim, I sink. So to be able to fully enjoy the lake, I had to be aware of where I was getting in too deep and trust that someone was going to be there to hold onto me if I did go too far (and someone was!). The lake changed me because I encountered it. I learned about trust, for one thing. But had I only sat on the shore and admired it, I would never have learned anything.
Our calling is to help people encounter Jesus Christ, not just to have them look at him from the shore. We are called to dive in, to trust, to see what he has to teach us. Too many people come to worship for "the show," to be entertained or made to feel good. But worship and church is about an encounter with the living savior who can and will change each and every one of us. We're not called to observation. We're called to an encounter!
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