Make a Joyful Noise!

My friends comment has been reverberating in my mind as I sit and wait for the "your key is ready" phone call. I have repeated it here because my sister and I share a passion for God.

 The church where i'm at is more talk than action but i am trying to change that because i keep bringing people to church that make to much noise and piss people off because they don't know the routine. Shame eh? HA!

I attended a small rural church steeped in fine tradition. Admirably, this church stood in the community for 150 years. This church had their own way of doing things and these things became sacred to them. The wrote and ritual, however beautiful or well intentioned, only serves to distract us from our true relationship with the creator. However well intentioned, when the sacredness of tradition stands in the way of Love, sharing, community, nurturance, then in my opinion it is nothing but a banging gong...a lifeless synbol that used to have meaning. At any rate, this church was full of unrealized potential.

This church hired a spirit led minister and along came a spirit led youth pastor. This youth pastor ran ruffshod over the whole tradtion thing. He not only pushed the boudaries but he crashed through them like a bull in a china shop. Soon the church began to grow with many new beleivers comning to faith. These believers knew nothing about tradition. All they had was a fresh new relationship with God. It was then that I began to dispise tradition.

At Crossings church, we decided to throw away many of the structure rules. For example, coffee is served throughout the service. People come and go as they please as there are some smokers who have not been able to overcome their cravings. This is a place that welcomes the seeker and undersgtands that structure and decorum are less important than the welcoming of guests.It reminds me of when the Lord said, the sabbath was for man, not the man for sabbath.

So it brings incredibale joy to my heart to know that my sister Brenda is bringing people to her church who do not know the routine. Its a beautiful thing. In many ways I greive because these new beleivers and seekers may be met with scorn or disfavour for not "knowing the routine". I say MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD. Shout it out and shout it loud. Remind the cultural christian about passion. Push the boudaries. The cultural christian is about to wake up to soul seaching authenticity.

The day came in that old church when the pastor and the youth pastor could know longer hold back the traditionalists anger and resentment. They both left. Soon the childrens laughter could not be heard. I rememebr one young lad looking up at the beautiful stained glass window and he said " Mommy, why is Jesus crying?" I knew why and I cried too.