Because You've Got To Start Somewhere
We're getting started with this thing in Northwest Indiana on Friday. Sort of started, not really, but as much as we can, or as we know to do for the time, or as makes sense to us now, or if...
Can you tell that this is a work in progress? If I could give you an insight into my "process" with this church plant I would describe it based on the tiniest of increments. So far, it has been about doing precisely what we know that we know that we know God is calling us to do and nothing less, but certainly nothing more. That sounds like a great theory for starting a church, but what if you can't seem to get God to give you any more direction than "move one inch that way?" I guess all you do is move that one inch and then wait for new orders. Easier said than done.
I knew that we needed to move here so we did. Well, kind of. We're here, but all our stuff (including every pair of pants that I own!) is still in storage in Florida. We are still living in my parents' house, without any lead on a place of our own. Those are pretty small steps.
The next step we feel the Lord directing is to get as many of our friends and family together as we can and share our sense of calling with them. That's what we're doing at 7 PM on Friday night. If you were somehow left off the "invitation list" to that get together, it was not intentional! Email me and let me know that you want to come: scottjbane@mac.com. We'd certainly love to see you.
I used to be able to tell you precisely the role I wanted in the kingdom. I could tell you where my strengths where and what I can do well and not so well. I had ideas on how I wanted to lead and what kind of "church" I wanted to have. Now, my desire to be in the story that God is writing at all, has trumped my desire to tell Him the part I'd like to play. I sometimes do hope that I'm not the guy who "dies in prison," having preached the message of the kingdom but never actually seeing it come about himself. But if that's the piece God is writing for me, so be it. Is that making any sense to anyone out there? I'd rather be a dot on God's page than on the cover of a book I wrote myself.
I see this as a step in itself. It's a starting point. Through a glorious but often torturous refining fire, God is burning at my perceptions and assumptions. I believe He will someday have me seeing the kingdom through a whole new lens. For now, I see barely deeper than a little get together at my mom and dad's house on Friday.
Scott Bane
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Reader Comments (6)
Im excited about your get-together. I want to hear all the great things (big and small steps) you've taken to bring you back to IN. I like what you said about rather being a "dot on God's page than on the cover of a book I wrote myself." I would much rather have Him write my story, but how many times do I actually walk that out? I was just reminiscing with Tricia about the refining of gold you taught about in class. The heat is definitely up in my life right now, and a lot of crummy, ugly stuff is surfacing. Tricia was good to remind me that all I need to do is allow God to skim that crap off the top, that part will not be my doing. I just need to let God do His thing. Write the next part of my story. Great post. Just what I needed for today!
One more thing...your baby girl is just too sweet. I am so glad you're family is back!
Wish I could be there with you man. You are on the edge of something incredible, and one day, one day, we want to be ther in more than just spirit, but for now, we wil be there with you, in spirit (time difference notwithstanding ;) )
Lisa -
You just said "crap" on a Christian Blog. That's funny.
Dan.
Oops...didn't realize that. Thanks for pointing it out, Dan!
"crap crap crap crap" great words that bring us back to human and dogs in backyards - let's stop the word refereeing in front of a lonely and hurting world that doesn't need to be stomped on, but instead welcomed hand in hand to the foot of the cross
I'm with you Scott on being a dot --
In terms of movie theology - we should be shooting for Mr. Hollnad's Opus as opposed to the proverbial and once in a century characters of Braveheart or Gladiator
Adam - I said it was FUNNY .......