I started writing this post about this time of night on Saturday, May 29. I wrote 4-5 paragraphs and stopped unable to continue. As I lay on my bed tonight punching the keys of
my wife’s dilapidated Dell, I’m realizing I wasn’t ready to write. Looking back, too much remained swirling for me to draft anything cohesive or understandable. Tonight (at least I think), I’m ready; thus, Part 1 of a 4-part blog series.
Much has transpired along the Christ Journey over the last few months. Several friends (especially when they heard I had accepted a job as a school teacher...more on that in Part 3) are asking if we’re still involving ourselves in church planting. Furthermore, just two weeks ago, one of Heidi’s friends asked about Christ Journey, because she was told we had dissolved.
To be honest, like any other community of friends, we have climbed the summit of many mountain peaks, and we have descended into the depths of many despairing valleys. While wrestling with appropriate ways to address these (and other) questions, I concluded that it’s been a while since I’ve written an update (so long, in fact, that I can’t remember the last one), so Sunday, July 11, 2010 seems like a great day to step back into the habit.
As early as February 2009, “identity” began to surface as a struggle worth facing for the CJ community. “Who are we? Why do we exist? What are we inviting others into?” were (and are) just three of the myriad of questions churning among us. As outside (and inside) financial support reached its lowest point in October 2009, we were finally forced to take shots at answering some of these questions. For the rest of the year (and on into 2010), the process proved arduous, painful, disappointing, and sometimes lonely. Many chose to discontinue their travels with us along the journey, and the remaining wondered whether we should circle the wagons or forge into unchartered territory. As we looked out across the land that lay ahead, with a broken hip and a blessing (
Genesis 32:22-33 & an unexpected visit from
Heather), we left the wagons behind and clumsily broke camp into the undiscovered. As difficult as it was (and still is to some extent), we are thankful for the (ongoing) opportunity to wrestle with the identity of our community into the dark night for we remember that even though we bear the marks of our struggles, the dawn has come and yet is still breaking upon us.
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See, wasn't that short, sweet, and "postcardish" in length? Coming soon...Part 2: "So, are you still planting churches or not?!"
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