"I stopped seeing the church as an organization, and started seeing it as an organism. And when you see the church as an organism, you see the church everywhere."
Yes yes yes! I can't wait for you to hold The Understory in your hands =)
This resonates with the PK so much. We moved to a new town where my maiden name isn't known. We moved to a town where my husband's church hopping family last name is also unknown. He is healing from church hurt. I am just starting to dip my toes into the church community here. I was greeted with genuine excitement and joy. Not because they "bagged a Steadman" but because a new lady wanted to join in their Bible Study. It is so refreshing to be anonymous and also to have people not healing expectations on me because they know my dad or my husband's family history within the church community.
For me I look at “the church” as we the people of GOD. We are the church. And the place we go to worship GOD together that everyone calls the Church is just a building where we “The Church” gets together to worship and fellowship together. The people of GOD, born again believers in GOD, JESUS and Holy SPIRIT, can and do worship GOD everywhere we go, at all times. I don’t like to label myself as a “Baptist,” a “Methodist,” a “Pentecostal”, etc. I’m a born again believer in JESUS, who just happens to be going to a building called “fill in the blank” to worship GOD and fellowship together. I’ve attended both Baptist and Pentecostal gatherings throughout my life. But we are the body of CHRIST. WE ARE THE TABERNACLE where FATHER, SON and HOLY GHOST dwell. At the same time we are hid with Christ in GOD. We are the family of GOD, one body made up of many members. Let us “the church” continue to meet and worship and fellowship in a building where GOD leads us. And may all we do and think and say, wherever we are, be a worship and a praise and an adoration and a thanksgiving and give all the glory and honor to GOD who gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life. And let us not forsake the gathering together, and encouraging one another… Heb 10:25…
Oh I so relate to begging the Lord to change me—to give me a different personality so that I can belong. I’m not the outgoing person everyone gravitates to. I think and read too much. Take everything far too seriously. It’s so nice to know I’m not alone in that experience. It’s not just me. Thank you!
This is so beautifully written. I can relate to a lot even though I have a completely different journey. I did not grow up in church and am the only believer in my family. I'm new to church and the whole church culture thing can seem a little foreign to me. It's interesting how you were taught to refer to non-missionaries as lay people as I sometimes get that vibe from missionaries I meet and I tend to meet quite a few as an English speaker in Italy. In my search for a church I've settled on a small one that is slowly growing and they are wonderful, as they recognise that we all come from different cultures and backgrounds, and that church in the modern world can often look very different to the original church in the book of Acts. I love the idea of church as an organism as that's what the Bible says after all that we are the Body of Christ, not an institution!
I love this. I was listening to something I'd posted a few years ago, not ever imagining I would experience a time that I felt so hurt I didn't want to go to church. And yet, I'm grateful for that experience because as you have said, it makes me so much more grateful for the organism.
The tree analogy is exactly what I needed to read 😭 Thank you for sharing your journey with us. It’s a guidepost for what feels like an uncharted path to let us know it’s not uncharted, and we will make it through. ♥️
Thank you for this. I am feeling led to sharing this with my four adult children, who, despite our (very flawed) attempts to “raise them in the church” have all stepped away from any and all faith community. I’m not sure they have abandoned their belief in Jesus, but they have lost all faith in the American church - at least the one who preaches hate and intolerances against anyone who doesn’t fit the box.I just know as their mom I need to keep praying they will someday find their way back to a space that feels safe, welcoming and loving.
Kristen, this is so beautifully written. It was about a year ago that you posted something on insta about you and your family not attending physical church, that allowed me and my husband to have that same conversation for our little family. We both were so full of questions and he was struggling with church trauma. You were the first person who was able to articulate how we felt, and gave us a safe place to even consider taking a break. This past January, our 4 year old was the one asking to go back to church, and we wanted to give it another go with a new place that we had been thinking about trying for years. And so far, even though it was far different than what we are used it, it has been good for us. Thanks for accidentally being on this journey with us.
Our life experiences are so different, but I overwhelmingly relate to your words here. Thank you for sharing. We’ve been hiding in a bigger church, trying to work through being part of a church again. It’s complicated isn’t it?! So helpful to read about not having to get it right for long term (I absolutely felt similar panicked perseverance in attending church weekly, after experiencing deep church hurt) but doing the right thing for now. Phew!
I’m speechless after reading this, while having all sorts of thoughts spinning through my head. This is absolutely such a beautifully written post. I can’t thank you enough for your sharing your heart (and soul😁) the way you do with us. What a gift.
Your tree analogy speaks deeply to me, a former mennonite and diehard community lover who spent more time in the woods than I ever wanted to. But now, I'm so very glad for that season because that's what opened the door to exactly what you're describing... seeing the church inside human hearts. And to my surprise, I found the community I was longing for. Thanks for putting this process into words! 🩷
"I stopped seeing the church as an organization, and started seeing it as an organism. And when you see the church as an organism, you see the church everywhere."
Yes yes yes! I can't wait for you to hold The Understory in your hands =)
This resonates with the PK so much. We moved to a new town where my maiden name isn't known. We moved to a town where my husband's church hopping family last name is also unknown. He is healing from church hurt. I am just starting to dip my toes into the church community here. I was greeted with genuine excitement and joy. Not because they "bagged a Steadman" but because a new lady wanted to join in their Bible Study. It is so refreshing to be anonymous and also to have people not healing expectations on me because they know my dad or my husband's family history within the church community.
For me I look at “the church” as we the people of GOD. We are the church. And the place we go to worship GOD together that everyone calls the Church is just a building where we “The Church” gets together to worship and fellowship together. The people of GOD, born again believers in GOD, JESUS and Holy SPIRIT, can and do worship GOD everywhere we go, at all times. I don’t like to label myself as a “Baptist,” a “Methodist,” a “Pentecostal”, etc. I’m a born again believer in JESUS, who just happens to be going to a building called “fill in the blank” to worship GOD and fellowship together. I’ve attended both Baptist and Pentecostal gatherings throughout my life. But we are the body of CHRIST. WE ARE THE TABERNACLE where FATHER, SON and HOLY GHOST dwell. At the same time we are hid with Christ in GOD. We are the family of GOD, one body made up of many members. Let us “the church” continue to meet and worship and fellowship in a building where GOD leads us. And may all we do and think and say, wherever we are, be a worship and a praise and an adoration and a thanksgiving and give all the glory and honor to GOD who gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life. And let us not forsake the gathering together, and encouraging one another… Heb 10:25…
Oh I so relate to begging the Lord to change me—to give me a different personality so that I can belong. I’m not the outgoing person everyone gravitates to. I think and read too much. Take everything far too seriously. It’s so nice to know I’m not alone in that experience. It’s not just me. Thank you!
This is so beautifully written. I can relate to a lot even though I have a completely different journey. I did not grow up in church and am the only believer in my family. I'm new to church and the whole church culture thing can seem a little foreign to me. It's interesting how you were taught to refer to non-missionaries as lay people as I sometimes get that vibe from missionaries I meet and I tend to meet quite a few as an English speaker in Italy. In my search for a church I've settled on a small one that is slowly growing and they are wonderful, as they recognise that we all come from different cultures and backgrounds, and that church in the modern world can often look very different to the original church in the book of Acts. I love the idea of church as an organism as that's what the Bible says after all that we are the Body of Christ, not an institution!
"Faith is not a facade when it’s sincere." 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I love this. I was listening to something I'd posted a few years ago, not ever imagining I would experience a time that I felt so hurt I didn't want to go to church. And yet, I'm grateful for that experience because as you have said, it makes me so much more grateful for the organism.
Literally fighting tears, I feel this so much.
The tree analogy is exactly what I needed to read 😭 Thank you for sharing your journey with us. It’s a guidepost for what feels like an uncharted path to let us know it’s not uncharted, and we will make it through. ♥️
Thank you for this. I am feeling led to sharing this with my four adult children, who, despite our (very flawed) attempts to “raise them in the church” have all stepped away from any and all faith community. I’m not sure they have abandoned their belief in Jesus, but they have lost all faith in the American church - at least the one who preaches hate and intolerances against anyone who doesn’t fit the box.I just know as their mom I need to keep praying they will someday find their way back to a space that feels safe, welcoming and loving.
Kristen, this is so beautifully written. It was about a year ago that you posted something on insta about you and your family not attending physical church, that allowed me and my husband to have that same conversation for our little family. We both were so full of questions and he was struggling with church trauma. You were the first person who was able to articulate how we felt, and gave us a safe place to even consider taking a break. This past January, our 4 year old was the one asking to go back to church, and we wanted to give it another go with a new place that we had been thinking about trying for years. And so far, even though it was far different than what we are used it, it has been good for us. Thanks for accidentally being on this journey with us.
Our life experiences are so different, but I overwhelmingly relate to your words here. Thank you for sharing. We’ve been hiding in a bigger church, trying to work through being part of a church again. It’s complicated isn’t it?! So helpful to read about not having to get it right for long term (I absolutely felt similar panicked perseverance in attending church weekly, after experiencing deep church hurt) but doing the right thing for now. Phew!
I’m speechless after reading this, while having all sorts of thoughts spinning through my head. This is absolutely such a beautifully written post. I can’t thank you enough for your sharing your heart (and soul😁) the way you do with us. What a gift.
Your tree analogy speaks deeply to me, a former mennonite and diehard community lover who spent more time in the woods than I ever wanted to. But now, I'm so very glad for that season because that's what opened the door to exactly what you're describing... seeing the church inside human hearts. And to my surprise, I found the community I was longing for. Thanks for putting this process into words! 🩷