Sep 7, 2007

If You're Broken, Come On Over! If You're Not, You Can Help Pick Up Other's Pieces...

I hadn't gotten involved in Wednesday evening activities at our church over the past few years, although my teenagers have enjoyed youth. I'm not sure why, other than to say with my work and lack of organization, it just wasn't 'easy' to do. This year, however, because I'm homeschooling Alex, I decided to try harder to get myself and Alex there--he needs to get out of the house at least once a day (me too!).

So we went, we dined on pizza and salad with our friends (our church offers dinner at 5:45 to make it easier to get there--is that cool?!). Alex had a great time at Kids' Club. I chose to attend our pastor's small study in his office. I've never done a Wednesday study, so I'm in uncharted territory. We're reading The Ragamuffin Gospel. Our church is pretty big on being church to everyone, and that includes broken people. Our pastor uses the term broken often. Sometimes I'm broken into more pieces than others. Right now, I'm in a good place. Better able to reach out to those who aren't. Part of what I love about this church so much is its willingness to reach out to the community. To not build up our armour and judge everyone else around us. To just love the people in our community, even when they step into our church practically reeking of sin, so much sin you can allmost see smoke billowing from their heads. It's okay by us if you want to come right in and sit down. There's plenty of sin to go around, and that's every church. Some are just better at dressing it up and spritzing expensive colognes on theirs is all.

I haven't read very far into the book yet, don't know if I recommend it or don't, and maybe I'll post about that later on. What I did get from the evening, from thinking about it, from reading is this: it's Friday. This can be a very lonely time for people who don't have much to look forward to right now, who are broken, breaking or are shattered. I've been there and I'm sure I'll be there again. And I'll go there again because I do have personal relationships with others and I will be hurt and sad and devastated again. From experience and from example, I also know this: there's no better way to stop focusing on our broken selves than to go out (right now, today, tonight!) and pick up someone else's pieces. I don't know why it works that way, it just does. And I think God designed it to be so....pretty sneaky/clever if you ask me! Here's to being blessed this weekend and here's to being a blessing!

12 Comments:

Anonymous said...

That's what a church is all about, or should be. Not just serving the members, but reaching out to those in the community, your neighbors. It's a great mission.

Churches who concentrate inward only are sure to fail.

Jillie Bean (AKA Bubba's Sis) said...

Stacey, this is beautiful! We had a sermon recently called "Cracked Pots" that was essentially the same message. We're all cracked pots. And it is our duty as Christians to help other cracked pots pick up their pieces. You are a wonderful Christian and a beautiful person! I hope you have a blessed weekend!

Anonymous said...

awesome post, Stacey. I don't know what I believe anymore, but I appreciate it when others reach out to me, and I try to whenever I see someone in need as well. It's always made me feel better to help others, and makes me feel better about myself.

Girl Gone Wild - BibleStyle said...

Dang! Sounds like YOU should be leading the study group!

That's awesome Stacey, that you have such a great church that does exactly what it's suppose to do.

Imagine that....

Lala said...

'There's plenty of sin to go around, and that's every church. Some are just better at dressing it up and spritzing expensive colognes on theirs is all.'

Couldn't agree with you more Stacey... one of the reasons my husband and I have left "the church" so to speak...

My father always said to me... "church is where you make it" (not a "religious man" but spiritual)

I remember as a child sitting in church listening to the preacher and then on the ride home my Mother would be talking about the fact that he (the preacher) was banging the pianist during the week...

You're lucky to have such a nice church!

Lala :o)

D... said...

Great post, Stacey! I also believe that we should be there to help pick up the pieces. Sometimes we are the broken ones and sometimes we are the ones picking up the pieces for someone else. It all goes hand in hand. I can totally see you in the role of helping to pick up the pieces. That shines thru in your blog.

Thank you for your support. I know I've just started on this teenage girl road, and it's already rocky. This too shall pass just in time for something else. Parenting never gets any easier. But, yes, she has B/S's daughter to help pick up the pieces. :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this beautiful post, with such an amazing message! Your church sounds like a very special place, that is accepting of everyone, the way churches should be. I am a very spiritual person, and totally believe in helping people who are broken, and how healing it can be for us and our broken parts. It is a win-win situation and I think that is how God would want us to treat each other. Have a good weekend. XOXOX

Lala said...

Stacey... THis post has been on my mind ALL morning... sometimes I think in some instances there may be too many broken pieces to be put back together... make a little visit over my way I have posted the recent events of this morning

Lala :o)

Shana said...

There is a sign as you leave the parking lot, at one of the churches here in town, it says "YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD". If we only would all keep that in mind and carry that with us through out our week think of the changes we could make.

Can't wait to get your review of the book. :o)

Anonymous said...

I know this from being a teacher. I fix broken pieces every day. I feel like the Statue of Liberty some days...give me your tired, your down trodden, the broken...

When I get mad at the kids, all I have to do is drive around St. Joe and remind myself where these kids lives, who their parents are, what they are eating for dinner. I can't complain about my life. My live is wonderful in comparison. Helping others is what it's all about. I think if Christians do anything it should be following the example of Christ's story of loving, helping and forgiving--not judging and complaining. Perhaps if I found a Christian church that truly believed this, I might be more willing to go to church. I've yet to find one in St. Joe, though, that preaches such kindness and generosity of spirit and self. Isn't that sad?

Anonymous said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your comment that you made "I'm in a good place so I am able to help our others more right now"--that is truly the words of a kindhearted and loving Christian person.

I love the sound of your church. I grew up in a great church--one that REALLY takes care everyone.

Great post!!

Sharon Sews said...

Hi Stacey, I haven't been absent, I've been thinking about your post off and on all weekend. We're all broken aren't we? Just like you said, at some points in our lives we're more broken than others. To have such a safe and welcoming place to go to - your current church - is wonderful. I've often wondered though, how do we really reach out to the broken? When I was there, before I knew Christ, I don't care how inviting, safe, warm and non-judgmental a church appeared to be - I thought they were all secretly judging me - you know what I mean? I thought all the "perfect Christians" wouldn't really like me if they knew my real past. It's one reason I've been willing to share my testimony because I want people, women especially, to know that no matter where we may be in our life today and what our outer appearance is, we all have need of our Savior's grace. Like you said so well, some are better at dressing up their sin than others. Ugh, I'm rambling and I don't think I'm making coherent sentences, but I'm too tired to go back and edit, so I'm posting as is, incoherent ramblings and all.