Ch*rch happens, too!


I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. 
For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the Spirit. –Khalil Gibran


There is an expression that is thrown about frequently when something unexpected—and usually bad—happens without explanation. Well-meaning folks, trying to empathize, will offer comfort by saying something like, Well, hey, you know? Sometimes sh*t happens.

(Apparently, we are supposed to feel better when we realize that the bad things that happen in our lives can’t be helped. I suppose that’s better than blaming the awful, nasty stuff on God, but only a little.) But let’s look at the balance in life.

Sometimes, good stuff just happens, too. And church just happens. And just like that other stuff, church frequently happens completely unexpected and in unusual places.

Church—space where God’s Spirit shows up and lives are changed—can happen anywhere. It can happen in a park on weekday afternoons; it can happen in a bar when friends gather, cold beer in hand, to discuss life and the art of living it. It can even happen on a crowded subway, when a young man offers his seat to an elderly woman.

How does that song go? I am the church. You are the church. We are the church—together. As Jesus promised, wherever two or more are gathered, church happens. And sometimes, it’s in the midst of sh*t happening that the presence of the Church of Christ is most strongly felt. Seek and you shall find. Promise.

Monday The next time something unexpectedly bad happens, pause and ask God to show you the good that will come out of it. Job 42:7

Tuesday Where have you found “church” happening in unexpected ways and places? Deuteronomy 12:8-9

Wednesday As you go about today, doing errands or shopping, open your eyes to God’s presence in seemingly ordinary places. Give thanks. Micah 1:3

Thursday Music can be a portal into closer relationship with God. Take time today to listen to music that has value to you personally. Relax and enjoy the way it makes you feel. Ephesians 5:19-20

Friday Reach out today to someone who has experienced loss and may be feeling isolated or alone. Keep them in your prayers. Proverbs 17:17

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, look honestly into your heart. Are you genuinely trying to make church happen as you travel through life? Ask God to help you shine even more light. Job 38:19

Sunday Today is “real” church for many people. As you leave worship, take the presence of God with you out into the world. Be gracious and glad! Acts 20:28

I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. –Pope Francis

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