The Church of Misfits: DOing Something

As the last DOer, I think it’s only appropriate that I give this extraordinairy series a fitting send off.  So I want to thank Mandy for her creativity and grace, for giving so many people the opportunity to showcase what they DO, and for challenging me to think beyond my own world.  (Of course, Mandy wanted me to stop at 300 words.  Unfortunately for her, I’m a Misfit!  That means, among other things, I am more concerned about DOing what needs to be done than I am DOing what people expect me to DO.  Heh.  Sorry, Mandy!)  I would also like to thank the everyday DOers who participated; the past month has kept me busy.  I will miss this great series very much, but as TheSleepingBear had suggested in a comment, “Maybe this could be done once a year.”  Before that happens, however, I’ve got some things to say…

 

I have heard a lot of Christians talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus, but I honestly never understood that.  No, really.  I mean, I just don’t get it.  God is just too big to me.

And yet, Jesus’s ministry was very personal:  He fed the hungry, healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead.  His teachings still salve the suffering souls of humanity to this very day.

And He made very clear the consequences of spiritual complacency, especially in the parables of The Unmerciful Servant and The Sheep & The Goats (Matthew 18:23-35 & 25:31-46).  So–according to The Bible–when the time comes, some believers are going to be in serious trouble if they do not

DO something.  Here.  And now.

Because Jesus spent so much time caring for the poor, the disabled, the forsaken, and those who are suffering, I followed His example and started The Church of Misfits with my best friend Chris.

Actually, it’s not really church; it’s a Bible study.

But it’s not just another Bible study.

Because every Thursday night we talk openly and honestly about our struggles, our crises, and our temptations.  We do not simply study Scripture; we bring our testimonies to it.

And in a world full of color, we do not reduce God’s commands and the teachings of Christ to a black-and-white set of rules and regulations.

We do not speak against homosexuality, but for God’s mercy.

And nobody ever says, “Sex before marriage is wrong!”

Instead we warn, “The morning after lasts a lot longer than the night before.”

If you think we’re just talking about sexually transmitted diseases or unexpected pregnancies, consider yourself lucky.  And yet, we have also prayed with victims of sexual abuse and with accused rapists.  At the same time.

We do not speak against abortion, but for God’s forgiveness.

We have been spared The Cup of Wrath because we drink, daily, from The Chalice of Mercy.

We believe Christ has commissioned us to share Good News, not bad.

For our sins–and they are many–have been forgiven, so we have shown much love (Luke 7:47).  And because we belong to Christ, we have become new creations.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And yet, we examine where we came from to understand where we are, how we got there, and why we still do the things we do.  Because we want to be more than who we are. To serve God more than we do now.

We do not spew venom against our personal or national enemies, but we speak for God’s love.

And nobody ever says, “People die!  Get over it!”

Instead we accept, “We grieve because we have loved.”

And love is The Greatest Commandment.  So grief is the last full measure of our devotion.  And we show our love for God by showing our love to our families, to our friends, and to all our strangers.

We do not thump our Bibles, but make friends of strangers.  We do not hand out tracks filled with fire-and-brimstone theology, but we accept our roles as teachers.

Satan is The Accuser, who delights in using lies to divide The Church of God.

Christ is The Redeemer, who delights in freeing us from false guilt based on these lies.

We do not expect everyone to agree with us, but we do accept that different children of God have different spiritual diets–and we are honored to sit at the same table. (This, I confess, is a lesson my own hard eyes have had to remember recently.)

We also make jokes, eat Twinkies, and drink root beer floats.  Or beer.

But we always laugh until our stomachs hurt.  For example:

done

And when it is absolutely necessary–such as when another believer falls into the dangerous world of illegal drugs and promiscuity–I let loose a very subtle, yet immensely intimidating, wrath that sucks the air out of the room.

Never have I needed more than just one sentence because–again, following the example of Christ–I do my best to choose my words very carefully.  I hate having to let loose this wrath, but I know it is, at times, absolutely necessary.

And I, most assuredly, do not do it until it is absolutely necessary.

Of course, such strong words are only effective when one has earned–in blood and sweat and tears–the friendship of fallen, lost souls.  Any such warning from a stranger most often falls on deaf ears because one has not earned the right to speak of such personal matters.

So maybe I do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but I certainly have one with the least of His brethren.  Maybe that is what makes me a Misfit.

Because I never understood the difference.

But that…is what I DO.