So, I have been pretty idle with blog posts recently. However, I am up in Philly for the week spending time with The Simple Way. I am here to serve, learn and reflect. I could not help but think that my blog would be a good place to share any reflections that I might have here.
This is from yesterday:
What does it mean to be comfortable? Should we pursue comfort? I cannot help but think of Pastor Mark encouraging us to worship in a new way…a way that makes us uncomfortable. The more I grow the more I realize the need to embrace being uncomfortable. Of course being uncomfortable should never be an end in itself. Wearing a hair-shirt for the sole reason of being uncomfortable is pointless. However, introducing yourself to your neighbor can be uncomfortable, but it expresses the love of God. Offering to buy a homeless person dinner and sitting and sharing the meal with them can be awkward but both parties will walk away richer from the experience. Attending a religious service different from your own may not be that fun and you may feel entirely out of place. But what does it say to those there that you decided to break out of the cultural walls that normally confine you and how can you not be richer and have a deeper understanding of those that are different from us?…in fact how we will ever make inroads toward peace and reconciliation without doing things that violate our comfort? If we want to grow our decisions should more often choose discomfort over comfort!
Great post. Reminded me of the story of King David in 2 Samuel 24 where Araunah offers him a place to sacrifice and he offers payment and Araunah says no it's free and David responds, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." [24.24]
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