Junity

So, I'm working on Southeast's annual JUNITY Services. It's an exciting venture into the unusual, but also a bit intimidating when it comes to trying to hit everyone on some level. Our focus is UNITY in JUNE. Trying to bring everyone together and learn a bit about the basics of our faith. So, in June, we attempt to answer the questions of where in the world is "the Bible, Jesus, God and The Holy Spirit?" These are four Sundays filled with Drama, Video, Music and Teaching.

We began a few months ago planning the activities involved in each service, but still, the actual implementation of said activities continues to be a 'down to the wire' process complete with script changes, personnel issues etc. But, week one is completed, with little to no real issues. Week two...well, that's in 5 days, so we'll see.

What makes this process fun for a Church of Christ is the collaborative effort involved. Churches should be focused on such things on a normal basis but, with all of the tedious day-to-day activities, the mystique of the process becomes lost in translation. At times we begin to focus on things other than the main worship experience so, inevitably the worship time suffers from the status-quo. Of course, many people like the status-quo. They find comfort in it.

I've promoted the thought that Jesus didn't come to make us comfortable. He came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Seriously, as American Christians who strive for comfort in every aspect of our lives, why should be expect it on Sunday morning? Think about it, we want comfort in our homes, our cars, restaurants, movie theaters, desk chairs, shoes, toilet paper, shaving razors, hair care products, sensitive tooth paste, you name it...it all boils down to comfort. Sometimes I think that Americans are just greedy. We're used to something, so we begin to expect it.

I think that as a Church of Christ...a place that strives to be like Jesus Christ, (we actually sometimes strive to be more like Paul than Jesus) we should realize that the only thing we should really expect is Suffering. But alas, we come to church and sometimes complain when it's too hot or too cold or when the service is a bit unusual we begin to feel neglected, when in actuality, we are feeling uncomfortable.

So, our goal in June is to teach the basics of our faith, but in a small way, we hope to make the comfortable, really uncomfortable while hoping that those who have come to escape the institutionalism of Christianity find a small sense of peace and meaning. We don't ask for much right? We just ask for a realization of unity in June...or Junity.