Why we are the way we are

US News & World Report just published this article about a growing movement in American spirituality. It's about how many American Christians are looking to return to some of the traditions of the faith as a way to ground their experience and find authenticity.

The reason I post this article is because it describes pretty well what we are trying to be and why. A community rooted in the traditions of our faith, but one that reimagines them for today. One that is grounded in orthodoxy, but lives it out in ways that are relevant for today. This article will help you understand a little bit of why we do things the way we do, and what we are hoping to accomplish by doing them that way. Check it out.

Freedom

It turns out that being sick is actually kind of liberating. When we were sick last week, we let all kinds of important things slide. We had no choice in the matter- we just couldn't do them. And lo and behold, the world did not end. There was even a good crowd in worship on Sunday. In fact, if I miss a week of work due to sickness or vacation worship attendance is always high. My wife Beth jokes that if I just stopped working altogether, The River would be bursting at the seams. She just might be right.

When I'm well, I work, and I get focused on me doing the work. But it is not me doing the work. God is the one building The River. That's true of everything in life. God has done it all. Family, friends, hobbies, all of it comes from God. God makes it all happen. I only get stressed when I either forget that and try to do it myself, or when I get focused on the minutiae of daily life.

I remember when a buddy of mine told me about the prayer Pope John XXIII prayed every night. I don't know if it's true or just an urban legend, but according to my buddy every night John XXIII would end his prayers with "Lord, it's your church. I'm going to bed."

Now that I'm out of bed, I'm trying to remember that. To still work hard, but to know that it's not up to me. It's God's church, and God is at work, whether I'm in bed or not.

The Porcelain God

Yup, that's where I've been spending a bit of time lately: "worshiping the porcelain God." If you don't get the euphemism, good for you! If you do, then you know what the past few days have been like. Add to that the fact that our whole family had it, and you can see that things have not been fun around here. Our five year old has had it since Thursday and only today are we convinced she's recovered. Our two year old got it Friday and was fine Saturday, but then relapsed (if that's the word) on Sunday and again Monday. So we're still not sure whether he's over it or not.

What's most interesting to me, though- and what has led to this post- is what happened to my wife Beth and I. We both got it Sunday night, after leading worship that morning. Somehow, despite both our kids getting sick Thursday and Friday, we managed to avoid being overcome until after Sunday morning had passed. You see, there is absolutely no way either of us could have led worship once this bug hit. There wasn't an hour away from the 'porcelain God' to spend worshiping the real God. Yet somehow, the illness was stayed until after Sunday worship had passed.

Looking back, I realized that I have never missed a Sunday due to sickness. Ever. Other than some other work thing (such as a retreat or conference) or vacation, I have only missed three Sundays: two were for the birth of my children, and one was for the funeral of my grandmother. There have even been Sundays where I felt quite sick, yet while I was leading worship I felt fine. I remember one time I had a sore throat and could barely talk, yet when I stood up to preach my voice was clear as a bell. It just seems like God reaches out a protective and healing hand when I am sick and about to lead worship. It's an amazing witness to how God lifts us up to do the work to which we have been called.