For us, that was a rebirth in so many ways. A dear friend describes it as “from dislocation to location takes incarnation, not just information, to produce transformation. “ That’s probably a lot of big words that make you shake your head. It would me, if I hadn’t lived it. The Incarnation-the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, that’s what we experienced. Through the authentic living out of Christ-like community, we were totally transformed. All the information in the world wasn’t able to produce the kind of change our community experienced and needed. I pray that I can live in that kind of community again. I pray I can be that kind of community for others when I come upon their hurt and pain and yuck. And I am beyond thankful for The Word, who created the universe, then came down to sit with us in our yuck and mess, and then overcame it to reign forever!
During a particularly challenging season of family and ministry, Ty and I were blessed to be part of a community for a brief time that indelibly imprinted into our lives. Just this week we were speaking to someone about that and he asked what made it such a great experience. We (along with one other member of that community) agreed that the timing and the situations of the people going through that season made it a truly unique experience. We were in a process of major dislocation. It was about the time the movie Avatar came out and some actually went and saw that movie during our days together. Our rally cry became “I see you,” and although each situation was individual, we agreed to step in our pain together. We dove into each other’s mess and didn’t offer cliché or churchy answers. We sat in the yuck together and when one was willing and able to take a step, we stepped with him or her. This was powerful for me as we were in depths of pain and hurt and confusion. To have people who didn’t know me, come sit with me, come see me, in my worst moments…that was indescribable. In fact, as a group we have a hard time explaining the power of that experience to others. For 10 days we sat in mess and confusion and pain together. We wrestled with God and with culture, together. At the end of the time we went our separate ways. I wonder about some of those members to this day. I pray for them and wonder how their situation resolved. Did it resolve? Did it launch something new? Did it become the start of something totally new and different? Are they still sitting in their pain and hurt? Is anyone sitting with them?
For us, that was a rebirth in so many ways. A dear friend describes it as “from dislocation to location takes incarnation, not just information, to produce transformation. “ That’s probably a lot of big words that make you shake your head. It would me, if I hadn’t lived it. The Incarnation-the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, that’s what we experienced. Through the authentic living out of Christ-like community, we were totally transformed. All the information in the world wasn’t able to produce the kind of change our community experienced and needed. I pray that I can live in that kind of community again. I pray I can be that kind of community for others when I come upon their hurt and pain and yuck. And I am beyond thankful for The Word, who created the universe, then came down to sit with us in our yuck and mess, and then overcame it to reign forever!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsCarolyn & (sometimes) Ty Archives
March 2016
|