Unexpected Grace

Grace:
Secular (for lack of better classification)
1.elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
2.a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.

Theology.
a.the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
b.the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.

Church this weekend was so great. We're starting a new series called Jesus Unplugged
(pimp: http://www.4cornerschurch.com/messages/series/)

Ben started by saying that he was going to be talking about the heart of 4Corners. Which is the gospel of Jesus.

He used Romans 6:23
23For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.

So often churches get caught up in legalistic things. In dogma that isn't really clearly in black and white spelled out in the bible (smoking, drinking are two examples).
They want to ban you from dancing because it's a sin. But David danced in the bible.
But they will shimmy and shake around the central issue of what Romans is saying.
I went on the forum this morning. Someone posted the following statement:

"there are numerous things about the church/Christians i find awfully disheartening. i would have to say that its not necessarily the people themselves, but the arrogant attitude that's either on display or needs to be unearthed. when opposing views clash in a peppering of questions, and someone says 'they'll pray you', its usually done in a condescending or patronizing manner. what they really mean is that they hope you come around to their point of view, the right one. i am simply a voracious questioner and apparently questioning or doubting is not allowed, among other things, in the faith. although many would and do say questioning is in fact permitted. but it seems what your questioning determines whether your inquiries are valid."

He said a lot more, but this I cause me to really stop and appreciate even more what the people in my church do in their everyday walking around lives.
In the last week I've had 2 or 3 conversations with people that are centered around the harm that people do in Jesus' name. I also listened to a sermon from Imago Dei on my way to work this morning that was about gospel conversations and it just all tied together for me.

I mean, I get irrationally scared to talk to people about it sometimes. But you know, there are also times like one of the conversations I had last week where I was literally asked directly about churches history of exclusivity in regards to who "Christians" will love.
It broke my heart.
I mean it absolutely broke my heart.
In the sermon this morning from Imago. Rick said that the idea that Christianity as a whole is judged on one persons and their brokenness (and God himself for that matter) is ridiculous. To say that all of Christianity and God himself is bad because you talked to one or even a dozen people that weren't expressing that love right is preposterous. I mean it doesn't happen elsewhere does it?
Does it?
Because I certainly won't eat certain places because of the service I was provided.
When I moved to Cincinnati I didn't go to certain churches because of the way their pastors acted in the bookstore I worked at.
Because when I go to those places, it often feels like banging my head against a wall. Like I'm intentionally walking back into a situation that will only cause me frustration and angst when there are so many other places I could go that I wouldn't feel that way.

So, I mean I can see where people are coming from. They've been burned. Hell, I've been burned by churches. I grew up in a church that was 2-faced and where the adults and their kids made fun of me when my parents weren't around.
I can see where they're coming from.
But I can also see where the church is coming from.
I mean, when I really met Jesus. Man. I'm still years later trying to describe what it did to me. It messed my life up, turned it upside down, and saved it.
I can completely understand where the drive comes from to share that information, that relationship with people.
But I think the harm comes when we say:
Get to know Jesus and then we'll love you.
Stop *insert name of offensive behavior or belief here* and then we can be friends and live in community with each other.

And so on and so on until it almost becomes an inability or unwillingness to love messed up people.
But aren't we all messed up?

Ben said in a leadership meeting that there are 3 B's.
I think he said that most churches have it:
Believe
Behave
Belong

But that we wanted to turn that on it's head and have it:

Belong
Behave
Believe

With the thoughts that people may have a hard time trusting this church thing, trusting God and his followers. So by entering into community and being loved unconditionally they may begin to re-evaluate their behaviors and beliefs and move closer and closer to a relationship with Jesus.

I've said that to a few people and they are surprisingly against this idea of letting people belong before they believe.
I don't get it.
I mean I know that when you are in community with people you are going to have hard conversations with them, and I think that addressing their behavior and beliefs would be hard don't you?

I'm not really sure where this if going other then this.
At some point we will all require much more grace then we deserve, then we think is possible.
Jesus will give it to us. Freely. Happily.

I was talking to John about being a believer last week, and he said that the last person he would have expected to go all churchy was me.
I told him I couldn't have agreed more.
I was perfectly content nursing my gloomy outlook on life, and my hatred of all things Godly.
Then Jesus came along and messed up my life in the most unexpected way.
For which I couldn't be more grateful.

But I wouldn't have even thought about beginning to move closer to Jesus if it weren't for Steve. Steve, who first made me feel like I belonged, then addressed my beliefs.
Steve didn't change me enough to care for me, he cared for me exactly the way I was, then loved me enough to help me change.