So what is the church today?

At Rockbridge, I am in Small Group Vision Camp, there are 142 students in this track and 17 staff that are working to train them to lead small group Bible studies on campus in the fall. This group could be influencers and leaders of over 1000 students on 12 campuses throughtout Va., N. Carolina & S. Carolina. This is a pretty significant group of influencers, right?

In my small group here we are studying 1 Peter. Last night in our discussion we were talking about living stones and foundations like buildings. So I just asked the group a question... "So what is your view of the church, anyway?

Silence.... Finally one person said "You mean like a building?"

I responded, "Well not necessarily, but what do you think the church is? Is it a building? Is it a place? Is it people?" So for the next 15 minutes we talked about what we felt like the church is and isn't. We talked about the stereotypes. What we liked and didn't like about the church.

I learned many things from this discussion. But one think that resounded there. Is a huge discrepancy between my perception of the church and these students perceptions of the church! We need to get on board and begin to do some forward thinking about this issue. Because as we continue to spend millions of dollars on our buildings our followers are comfortable just meeting at Panera Cafe or a coffeehouse or a park. It seems like the primary elements of church is worship & word with Jesus Christ in the center.

So what is the church today?

Another semester in the books

Oh Rockbridge,
a little slice of heaven!
Why is it like this?

Well part of it for me is my years of Young Life roots. I have been coming to YL camps since 1972! Practically every year. From Frontier to Silver Cliff to Saranac to Windy Gap and now Rockbridge! So many significant spitirual moments at each of those properties. Each ltime I am at a camp God meets me in an incredible way. Sometimes it is is in my personal reflection on a retreat of silence. Sometimes it is through a talk by a staff member (both YL and IV) who speaks a truth in an incredible way that cuts through to my heart. But it can be through a casual conversation on a porch, or the hot tub, or on the zipline tower. Conversations that open us up to vulnerability, that allowj God to move into the gaps in our times, the spaces in our lives.

It is also the abundance of nature, mountains, green fields, rustic old buildings, and a different view. A break from the norm that allows me just to take a step back and look at all that God has given me. And to listen... To listen to Him. To think about all those scenes that have gone ahead - in this past semester, past year, past 5 years all the way back as far as i can go.

Also, it is the clarity of relationships with Godly people that makes this place even more holy.. The quick reconciliation of brokenness. It is no longer about not talking to someone who has hurt me a month or 6 months from now. If someone has offended me today I will be reconciled with him or her tonight! Even those relationships with people that kind of bug me it is easy to rise to the occasion, serve together and let God do the work.

But in the context of the times apart from Rockbridge. Those times back "in the world". It is easy to let those annoying traits in others stay annoying. Brokenness stays broken and jealousy stays jealousy.

So coming to Rockbridge for these 2 weeks let's me be different enough that the time brings me one step closer to God.