The Lake Effect

The Lake Effect

I’m different. I am not like any one of you. This is how God designed us. Being different is a good thing. This difference in us all breeds commonality. I know that’s hard to understand but we seek to be alike but knowing we never can be. Where difference is appealing division is not.

1 Corinthians 1:10 - I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

The word division is a very strong word but for the sake of comfort, I will use the word clique instead.

We all come from various backgrounds, people come with their respective interests and our own spiritual condition, we meet in church and share the common Cup and the broken bread and we are called to see the oneness of our life.

This weekend at church, I took the chance to look around the congregation to see the differences. Difference of gender: difference of age; difference of. As I thought on this I realized, that in my mind I was classifying other members. It was almost subconscious in my thought process yet I naturally did this.

My mind said those people sitting up front are those closest in heart to the Senior Pastor or wanted to be singled out. Isn’t this why we sit on the front rows? To be noticed? What about the people who sit way in the back? Are they sitting back there because they were late or want to leave early?

My mind got more detailed… most of the associate Pastors hover near the entrances and in or near the lobbies. Is this to be of assistance to the members arriving late; to pray over the members; or is it in case of urgent things that may occur during the course of the service.

Even more specific, as I walk into the sanctuary I greet the people I know with a hug and a handshake. Yet with some others, I give a handshake or nothing at all. Some I spend time with talking and listening….others just a casual greeting. Some just get a nod from me in recognition.

Is this how everyone conducts themselves? Have I created my own clique?

All of us want to belong, to be a part, but our human nature makes us want to be a part of not just any group, but of an exclusive group. We want to be a part of some Clique. Belonging and the desire to belong are not bad, but the desire to gain status by belonging is dangerous. This desire causes us to compare ourselves with others and to be depressed when someone else gets in and we are left out.

We adjust to insure acceptance into these cliques. We pretend to agree when we secretly disagree. If necessary we use insincere flattery to gain the approval of those in the cliques hoping that they will give us admittance. In short, we compromise to be a part of the exclusive cliques.

Being in a clique is like the ripples of a lake. Once you make it to a specific ripple we find there is another one. Sometimes, we find that the ripple we are in, doesn’t really give us the sense of worth we really desire. This Lake effect can cause undo turbulence in our lives and distort truth and vision. Why? Our worth does not come from without, but from within. Our value is not increased by belonging, but by being. True love is not on the surface of the lake but within the heart.

The Church should be a place where people who have no other natural reason for associating with each other come together in love and, in love, serve one another and God. A few good examples are:

When our Children’s Pastor bridges the gap between the Word of God and our children by using methods to excite and interest our children.

I am blessed when our Senior Pastor has us turn to our neighbors in the congregation and greet them or start a conversation with them from a simple phrase.

I am blessed when I see people tithing of their abundance during the offering.

I am blessed to see people go to the stage for prayer knowing only God can fix their specific issues or areas in their life they need help with.

When these and many more blessings occur within the church it’s hard for Satan to divide the church.

I have a lot to learn in this area because I still separate myself from those I feel are cordial with me but not friendly. I need to remind myself that the focus is on Christ. I must allow petty issues to be lost in the shadow of the message of the cross of Christ. I must resolve to remove every barrier that has been erected to prevent fellowship and service among God’s people in this world. I must continue to give an on looking world a visible demonstration of love based fellowship.

 I can’t speak for you but I’m sure some of you are going through this as well.

I ask those of you whom I have wounded with my words or by ignoring you when you needed to talk, please forgive me. I ask your forgiveness for my classification and grouping people in my mind and thus separating myself from you. I ask for forgiveness for seeing you in a different way than Christ have taught us to see people.

It’s time to recommit ourselves to promoting and preserving the love God commands in His house.

It’s time to calm the waters of the lake and remove the “Lake Effect