a winnowing moment

Where is the 'place' where we truly meet Jesus? Did it happen 'all at once' for you, or was it a cumulative thing which happened over time?

I realize salvation is an individual deal... and I know that relationship with the Savior is personal. But there is at least an element of 'group' to it, right? There is that 'Body' aspect to our walk... and I'm not necessarily talking about 'saved-ness' or 'un-saved-ness', I'm talking about memorable moments which mark our spiritual maturity along the way... certainly I can look back and remember 'markers' in my walk which helped shape me...

So, is it possible that entire congregations have certain watershed moments in their group history?

Looking back, I can think of several remarkable 'moments' in the story of the Riverside church. I have heard of some and I have been a part of others. It is very exciting to consider where God has brought us and where He is taking us...

At each of these 'signposts', I would imagine there were people who were made uncomfortable... some more so than others... and some to the point that they decided not to be a part of Riverside anymore... nobody wants to 'lose' anyone, but that sort of thing simply happens sometimes...

And it makes me wonder: what is the next watershed event? What is the next winnowing moment? As we continue to allow the Spirit to lead us, we will necessarily NOT keep the status quo. We will continue to stretch and grow and mature into that body which God wants us to be...

I think for each of us there is a very important question which must be answered if we truly want to act as His people (there are probably many more, but I am thinking of only one right now). Consequently, then, that same question will need to be answered by us as a body as well...

"Who is my Brother?"

Entire books have been written on the subject (some with that exact title)... and the further down God's path I (we) progress, the more important this question becomes.

For in the answer to that question lies the foundation for the ministry of the church. "Who are the unsaved?" is another way to ask it....

For my entire life, our fellowship has practically made a cottage industry of judging who was 'in' and who was 'out'... please don't misunderstand, I am not suggesting we return to that judgmental habit of deciding who the Christians are... especially when our criteria are based almost exclusively upon our man-made culture and tradition involving 'how we do church'... as a result, we have collectively decided that the enemy was the Baptists and the Methodists and the Lutherans and the other 'denominations' in our communities... (you know, all the ones who didn't 'do church' right...)

Trying to discern "who is my brother?" is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I would submit that it can be healthy and productive to try and discover who are His and who are not, because the answer to that one question will shape our ministry! ...we just need to use the right measuring device...

We like to believe that our little congregation is open and accepting and non-judgmental... and it is! I have never been a part of a local body which was more so... and it is incredibly liberating!

But sometimes my language reveals me... when I use phrases like 'member of the church' when describing someone (those of you who grew up in the churches of Christ know exactly what I mean... 'member of the church' is code for "this-person-is-a-member-in-good-standing-at-a-church-building-with-'churchofchrist'-over-the-door-and-where-they-act-and-worship-exactly-like-I-do")... when I think in that way, and when I still wonder about 'qualifications' and 'saved-ness' based on that tired, unBiblical criteria, my true self is revealed...

So, I believe there is a future time in our congregational history which will indeed be a winnowing point... a watershed moment. And it will be when we decide to have a very open and honest discussion about who it is we consider our brothers.

I have, for a long time, believed that Jude's exhortation to 'contend earnestly for the faith' was not license to rip and tear at the Baptists and Methodists! The passage speaks of 'godless men'... I have lots of Baptist friends, and I would not describe any of them as godless...

The point is this: When we decide to truly define who our brother is, it will open our eyes to possibilities to which we have been blinded before... and it will be a true winnowing moment.

Blessings!