Posted by Helen on: 09.27.2006 /
There’s another response to me from Rev Lueking in today’s newspaper:
Who’s who in the faith/doubt dialog
Here’s an excerpt from it:
If we who confess faith in God do so with humility instead of vanity, open in mind and heart instead of closed, then surely the congregation is appropriate for the faith/doubt encounter. And the marvel is that the mercies of God keep on bringing us together for the long haul as we grow in faith by doing works of truth and love that reach well beyond ourselves.
When the congregation falls short of this high calling, we begin to look too much like a football team in a tight huddle. Outsiders have no idea of what’s going on in there but can’t help noticing that we don’t show our best side to the world.
Something interesting happened on the Sunday after I first met with Rev Lueking in person. Around mid-morning I saw a man in a suit come up the steps to my front door. I went to the door, ready to say the usual “No thank you, I don’t want to sign that/give any money/I’m already registered to vote”. So I was surprised to find out that he was there for none of those reasons.
After telling me his name he said “I’ve seen the newspaper dialog between you and Rev Lueking. I go to the church where he used to minister. I’m on my way to church – I just thought I’d stop by on my way and invite you to come this morning. I thought you might be interested since he’s preaching today (our minister is away).” (He was going to something early first – the service was going to start about an hour after he stopped by)
It was a friendly FYI based on specific things I’d written in the newspaper rather than a drive-by cold-call “You need to be saved!”, so I didn’t mind at all that he stopped by. In fact I was impressed that he actually bothered to stop by my house and invite me to church. So I thanked him and meant it.
I didn’t go to church that morning but I did ask Rev Lueking what he preached about when I saw him last week. He told me and I enjoyed talking about it with him. (I probably preferred it that way anyway – having an opportunity to discuss what he said rather than just listen to him preach and leave at the end). He offered me a printed copy of his sermon as I was leaving, which I accepted with interest.
I’ll be meeting Rev Lueking for coffee a third time tomorrow – that will be the last time before he goes overseas for several weeks.
Comment by: Paul
1Some people have all the fun ;)
Comment by: Helen
2C’mon Paul, you’re about to get published in the Emergent-UK magazine – how cool is that?
Comment by: Paul
3heh that’s only a might get published… if I do I’ll be one of those insufferable ego centric intolerant types – oh hang on as a Christian I’m one of them already :)
Comment by: April Terry
4Helen,
I just got a chance to read a lot of your interaction with Rev. Leuking and I felt a certain kinship to many of your thoughts.
I was raised mostly outside of churches, and for that reason I have felt decidedly uncomfortable with the whole “church” experience.
Over time, I have come to realize that this disenfranchisement is not something that has happened to only me, and I have started to meet other people who have the same problems with the “church as a country club” type of experience.
Your blog title of “Conversation at the Edge” could easily be a euphemism for much of my own experience. I have lived on the edge and have had so many conversations there that I can barely count them, but I have found that the adventure out on the edge is preferable to the safety of “knowing it all.”
I’m glad that I followed your link and caught that insight to your soul. I believe that as long as you keep Jesus as your compass, you will not be disappointed.
Comment by: Helen
5Hi April,
I’ve enjoyed interacting with you on the OA blog – I’m delighted that you dropped by CatE!
Thanks for sharing that you’ve felt uncomfortable with church too.
Yes, I prefer the adventure on the edge to ‘knowing it all’.