I’ve noticed something lately. Most people want “Church-Lite.” In other words, they’re not interested in falling in love with Jesus and being a passionate and committed part of the Body of Christ. Instead, they want something close to the real thing, but with less demands and restrictions.

Is the church a club or a community? The truth is, most people treat it like a club. We say we want to be a part of a community, but the common idea is:

“Don’t place any restrictions on the way I live or how I act.”
“Don’t ask me to attend unless I feel like it.”
“Don’t ask me to serve, I’m only here to be served.”
“Don’t ask me to give, my money is spent on what I want.”
“Don’t say anything that might offend me, I only listen to what I like.”

That’s not church! That’s a distortion of God’s original design. At best, it’s a cheap imitation of the real thing. In reality, it’s a counterfeit (a false church), functioning merely as a club to serve its members. Until we understand that church is not about meeting our needs, our whims or our personal desires, but that it’s about reaching a world for Christ and making disciples we will never accomplish our purpose in this world.

I’m rediscovering that life is an adventure. It’s not that I forgot that life is an exciting journey with many twists and turns along the way; it’s just that I’m now able to see the adventure of life through my son’s eyes. Jake is now about 16 months old and it’s incredible to watch him grow and learn. He’s discovering more about life everyday. And everyday, he’s discovering that life is a wonderful adventure. Here are some examples:

The highchair: we got Jake out of his highchair after supper the other day and put him down so he could go play with his toys. Instead of making the trek across the living room to the toy box, something interesting happened. The child who normally doesn’t enjoy the highchair that much was climbing up the front of the highchair. He’s become so proficient at this climb that he now can make it to the top and sit down in his chair. As a fellow male, I immediately wanted to “high-five” him and say “way to go.” As his dad and protector, I just watched with cautious eyes…and a huge smile!

The run: about the same time every night Jake gets the urge to run. He stands in the living room, looks at his mother and me and takes off. He makes the circle through the dining room, kitchen and living room several times and invariably he suffers several falls along the way. Some of the falls are the gentle kind that don’t really affect him and some are the really good “face plant” falls that probably sting a bit. But guess what…he gets up and he keeps running! The falling never seems to concern him for very long. He’s willing to get up and get going again.

The greeting: and now my favorite. Every day when I walk in the door from work I see a little boy running to me with open arms, smiling from ear to ear, screaming “Daddy!” It’s the love in his eyes, the joy in his voice, the unconditional acceptance in his arms that really makes me sense his love for life and his passion for its adventure.

A couple of closing thoughts here: Sure, life is an adventure; but so is the life of faith. Faith is willing to take risks…to climb the highchair with no fear of failure. Faith is willing to run the race with patience and keep going even after a debilitating and devastating fall. Faith always runs to God with an open heart and open arms wanting to feel His love and acceptance. This is the adventure I want to live! This is the kind of faith I want have. Maybe, just maybe, this is what Christ was talking about when He mentioned a “childlike faith.”

After only a few years of being a pastor and church planter here in north Georgia, I have managed to come up with one brilliant thought about church and ministry (please note the sarcasm): church doesn’t make sense.

You can go to all sorts of seminars with the latest, coolest people and learn all types of new and innovative approaches but that’s no guarantee for success. You can pour thousands of dollars into outreach and spend tons of time planning the perfect worship service but that’s no guarantee for greatness. There’s no formula…there’s no magic potion…there’s no mathematical equation that promises to grow a great church every time.

I know purpose-driven churches that have made it and some that haven’t…emerging churches that thrive and some that die…seeker churches that grow and some that dwindle. Why? It’s simple. Church doesn’t make sense! In my time as a new pastor I have often tried to catch the newest fad and ride the wave to success and greatness…only to wash up on the shore later, beleaguered and frustrated.

Why doesn’t church make sense? I think the answer is simple. Because God doesn’t want it to make sense. Once we figure out the formula we have a tendency to believe that we no longer need God. I have no clue why our attendance was down in May but we’ve been growing like crazy in June. All the experts will tell you that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. All I know is that as long as I understand that I don’t have this “church thing” figured out, I realize even more my need for God’s presence and guidance through the process.

So, I’m glad that church doesn’t make sense. If that realization moves me closer to a proper understanding of my need for God, then I’m content to remain in the dark.

Well, baby number two is on the way for us and we are totally excited. Stephanie thinks it’s a girl and I think it’s another boy. Let me go on the record as saying that she is probably right (as usual) and I am probably wrong (as usual). And let me also say that we both would be excited if it was a boy or a girl.

The only problem is that we have TONS of names for a boy and ZERO names for a girl. To complicate the problem we’re not finding out in advance whether it’s a boy or a girl so we need two names. So, I need your help. I need my friends in the blogosphere to come to my rescue and help me find a name if our baby happens to be a girl. Fire away!

Fasting: the very word almost strikes fear into my heart. Not because the issue is frightening but maybe because I don’t know enough about it…I don’t know enough intellectually or experientially. I’m determined that this is one of the disciplines I want to develop in my life.

There are many Scriptures that deal with the issue of fasting. In the New Testament, Jesus gives serious credence to the need for “prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21) So, it’s clear that there is great power in fasting. But the truth is, in my life this is not a power that I have experienced personally. Certainly, I’ve fasted before (three or four days at the most) but I don’t think I’ve experienced the true purpose of fasting: to push away the physical needs and focus on the spiritual needs. Too often for me I focus more on the physical goal (don’t eat for a few days) instead of the spiritual purpose (focus all your energies on Christ).

All of this to say that I am determined to learn this spiritual discipline and apply it in my life. I want to know what it means and how it feels to long for God more than anything else: more than food or drink, more than rest or sleep, more than church or study, more than reputation or good-standing.

I’m still learning what it means to desire God for who He is instead of what He has. I desire the good things: holiness, righteousness, discipline, integrity…but I have to learn to seek after God first and allow these things to be a result of that. I want God! Everything that results from that intimate relationship is simply a positive byproduct.