Vol II: #66 No Islands in the Kingdom
I understand why some former BSSM students fall apart when they leave the school. The temptation at Bethel is to meld into the culture and environment without learning to carry yourself. Between assigned Bible reading, classes, and near-daily worship the hardest part is maintaining a personal connection with the Lord. Thankfully, I knew these pitfalls prior to my trek through the the first year program. I developed a strong sense of my identity in the Lord since 2017 as I sought Him. Better said, I know how to stay connected to Him and prioritize my “quiet time(s).” My big hurdle is completely different than it will be for most students.
I know part of coming success and victory will be as an active part of body of believers. It scares the shit out of me. And yet…I know I need to be part of a church. Somehow, in some way, I need to go to church. (Good Lord. I can’t believe I wrote that. Me. The former church hater.) The truth is going to church is healthy like eating vegetables or hitting the gym. This is part of the Lord’s plan too. Or, as the preacher and poet John Donne famously penned in a 17th century,”No man is an island.”
Voluntary separation from the body of Christ is form of punishment, for whom is inconsequential. And, I loved to punish myself and others- when I feel ashamed or they say something stupid or follow a greedy man willing to spoon feed them what they want to hear. Ultimately, all of us suffer. I need the body and the body needs me. Who knows where the Church would be if people like me didn’t leave. We the thinkers and visionaries willing to look beyond the tropes of modern ministry into the Chaos of God and imagine what can be. Once we move from wounded to healed, we are the tribe that will take back the heritages we gave up long ago, in the area of the arts, science, invention, and education. And, the Lord wants us IN His body.
