At the start of orientation, a statement was said that really stuck with me; Church shouldn’t be endured, it should be enjoyed. Wow! How often in my life has church been something that I endured rather than enjoyed? Yes even in those moments when I had ‘endured’ church there have been moments of enjoyment, but if I’m being honest with myself, there’s been few times where church has been something I looked forward to with the same anticipation, joy, and excitement like I have had with a sporting event, movie, or concert. Is church enjoyable? Yes, but Hillsong takes it to another level! They want you to ENJOY church like you would enjoy any other beautiful thing in your life. Why? Because church is meant to be enjoyable! It’s meant to be life-giving; the source of creativity, wisdom, counsel, love, joy and peace. It’s supposed to be a place of safety and healing, where we can come together as a body and bear each other’s burdens. While church often aims to be these things, I’ve seen few too many examples of what church is NOT supposed to be than what it actually is supposed to be. The fruit of this failure manifests itself in apathetic church attendance and involvement, cynical attitudes towards the church, and distorted perceptions of what the body is supposed to look like. Praise God for Hillsong!
From the moment you walk into the doors, the church embodies life. You truly feel the breathe of God breathe on you as hundreds of people passionately press into the creator of the universe with full assurance of faith. They’re believing in his truth and in the reality of his power. Hillsong does an excellent job of creating an atmosphere of life on all cylinders; arts, media, worship, prayer, teaching, service, kids, community etc… It is by THIS atmosphere and culture that Hillsong defines itself, I can’t wait to bring this mindset home.
Here’s a choppy observation I typed up after church while sitting in the parking lot. Hope it gives you an idea of what was happening around me:
Simple, authentic, real. After church hangouts in the garage of the building heated by lamp heats. Food, fellowship, fun. Relationships, community; souls engaging. LIFE-GIVING! Seeing the body working in the way in which it was designed; people caring and serving one another. The culture is empowering; want to walk in the fullness of the Lord. Want to be leaders and world changers! - Brings out your best. God is attractive, not an incentive or fear tactic. Not even a sales pitch, he’s glorious in his raw form which is what Hillsong does, they provide a stage for the King of Kings to be alive. Fragrances of self-denial and humility are everywhere; this truly is a place where people want to serve the Lord and desire to be near him.
Random moment of the day: I got to go see downtown Sydney today and the opera house, it was sick!
Good stuff, Laura! Simple. Really it is. We complicate everything.
ReplyDeleteLuke 3:8a "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."
Repentance....a changed mind, a new way of thinking. A mind that is renewed by the WORD of God, rightly aligned with HIS truth. Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches..." If we stay connected to Him, He WILL transform our hearts and minds, and the fruit in our lives will reflect that transformation.
Simple, yes. Love Him and be loved by Him.....the fruit of repentance is a natural result. May each of our minds be simplified.....and life will flow.