last night in fusion i was engaging the marker that we had created to give people some memory that they were taking a step toward Jesus... and realized that i'm pretty much on the other side of a significant shift in my thinking.
let me paint a better picture
we created a space for people to engage the reality of Jesus around a long (think 30'+) table... simply, but beautifully decorated. black table cloth... lots of those ancient feeling candles (yes... i know... but they really do add something)... plates of bread chunks... ...bowls of clear glass marbles... goblets of juice... a line of sand running along the length of the tablecloth... uniting the elements...
...and in the center of the table... one glass bowl filled with water.
as we invited people to the table to remember the sacrifice of Jesus... we also invited them to mark any step they might be taking toward Jesus by placing one of the glass marbles into the center water-filled bowl.
as i listened to the sound of clashing marbles as person after person engaged... my mind was flooded with memories from the years i spent concerned that any kind of invitation be painfully specific... wanting so much for people to "get" the magnificent thing Jesus had done for them on the cross. and i'll admit that it reflected a lack of maturity on my part... almost disqualifying the work of G*D if it fell short in some way of fully presenting the wonder of the cross. i think i unknowingly had come to think that unless a person completely understood everything... they technically couldn't be accepted by G*D because they hadn't yet understood "the gospel". my theology would have skeptically said they may have "faith", but probably not "saving faith".
but last night... the experience helped me recognize that i've come along way toward celebrating any work... any movement a person makes toward Jesus... and... well... trusting G*D more than ever to complete the work. i realized that i'm less concerned about people being "in" than i am about people living a life of engaging Jesus.
does that mean i'm not concerned with people understanding the cross? absolutely not! however... it does mean that i'm more than ever concerned with people engaging the full redemption of Jesus. and i realize that engaging forgiveness is just one aspect of that full redemption.
so... i'm pretty thankful that a ton of people dropped marbles into the bowl this weekend.
G*D is moving... and people are responding!
...and that's pretty cool.
