so what does the church look like?

last night five people came over to my house to pray.

that is in itself a weird thing, I think in today's world. Who has time on a Wednesday night at 8:30 to come to a crazy girl's house and sit in the "spare 'oom" for the express purpose of praying, of coming to know God? Surely, there must be something better on TV.

Nevertheless, they came, maybe because they are friends and because I called and bullied them all a few hours before to make sure they were coming. Maybe they came because they see that there is something else in this world worth living for and it isn't our culture that tells you how important you are and how happy you will be if you satisfy all these needs. How many hours of our time are we pouring into jobs that do not stretch us, that do not create or nurture good, just so we can buy the next thing to make us interesting/cool/satisfied/beautiful/skinny/happy/
fulfilledf? I can't believe this bullshit anymore.

We read 1 Corinthian's 13-15, the chapters on spiritual gifts, on the church as a body, on love, on speaking in tongues, and on orderly worship. Actually, I just pulled those chapters out of nowhere when we began, and I feared what these people who I loved would say. After all, it is very nice to consider that we are one body and one in christ, but this is not "cool" nor is it "practical." I'm really frustrated by this fear because it inhibits me. Stops the momentum of Christ that surges inside me. Praise God that he is faithful when I am not, when I am a faltering, fearful, cringing, backsliding fool!

I am actually really hopeful for what will happen here. Sure, we chatted a lot, but that in itself is a lovely thing, being neighborly. And as we sat in a circle, holding hands and praying, we sat in silence for a long, long time and it seemed no one wanted to let go.

Please pray for the church in Moorpark. Pray for me that I might be a faithful vessel, light and salt, despite my fearful nature and my propensity to freeze, inactive. Pray that we all might be fruitful wherever we have been planted, even if it is temporary.

Our times are in his hands.