Wednesday, October 04, 2006
THE POWERFUL WITNESS OF REAL CHANGE
Last Friday night we hosted the City Team recovery program graduation ceremony. This event provides the most dramatic examples of new life in Christ. Many of the graduates spoke articulately about their past (drugs, alcohol, prison, lost parental rights) and the tremendous turn around their lives had taken. Without fail there was praise for God and joy expressed for relationship with him.
As one Campbell member commented to me, "These people have figured out some things that lots of long time Christians still haven't understood."
Here are some (paraphrased) sentiments from the last two graduations that were so powerful.
- I am breaking the generational curse of alcoholism in my family. My children won't have to deal with what I have dealt with because I am stopping the pattern now.
- No more secrets. That is the power of change and recovery. I faced the truth and admitted it to myself and others. My life is an open book. That is how I changed and will stay a changed person.
- Godly character is my goal. That says it all.
- I have learned how to care for others. (All of them acknowledged the absolute necessity of the involvement of other people in their lives and gave heartfelt thanks to many.)
- I can now look myself in the mirror.
- I pay taxes! I am now a productive member of society. (This person said he had never paid taxes in his life. Clearly this new status was one to be proud of and should shame all of us who gripe about taxes.)
- I felt that everyone owed me and all problems were everyone else's fault. I have gone from take, take, take, to giving and learning to be humble.
- I got my child back after losing him to the system due to the mess I had made of my life. I will never go back.
It seems that in middle class churched culture we wrestle with "tweaking" our lives and know that in some ways we should do better. But we so often seem to talk about and play at change. A City Team graduation lets one see real change. Yes, some fall back and have to start over, but the change that is needed and that happens is real change. A lot of us who haven't messed up our lives with drugs, alcohol, or been to prison, still need real change.
Middle class, socially acceptable Christians, still often need to break generational curses in mindsets and relationships. We still need to learn the power of "no secrets." We need to strive for godly character above all. And we need to know the power of caring for others and being cared for by others.
City Team: "By God's grace we provide a space where change can take place." That would be a good motto for a church, too.
As one Campbell member commented to me, "These people have figured out some things that lots of long time Christians still haven't understood."
Here are some (paraphrased) sentiments from the last two graduations that were so powerful.
- I am breaking the generational curse of alcoholism in my family. My children won't have to deal with what I have dealt with because I am stopping the pattern now.
- No more secrets. That is the power of change and recovery. I faced the truth and admitted it to myself and others. My life is an open book. That is how I changed and will stay a changed person.
- Godly character is my goal. That says it all.
- I have learned how to care for others. (All of them acknowledged the absolute necessity of the involvement of other people in their lives and gave heartfelt thanks to many.)
- I can now look myself in the mirror.
- I pay taxes! I am now a productive member of society. (This person said he had never paid taxes in his life. Clearly this new status was one to be proud of and should shame all of us who gripe about taxes.)
- I felt that everyone owed me and all problems were everyone else's fault. I have gone from take, take, take, to giving and learning to be humble.
- I got my child back after losing him to the system due to the mess I had made of my life. I will never go back.
It seems that in middle class churched culture we wrestle with "tweaking" our lives and know that in some ways we should do better. But we so often seem to talk about and play at change. A City Team graduation lets one see real change. Yes, some fall back and have to start over, but the change that is needed and that happens is real change. A lot of us who haven't messed up our lives with drugs, alcohol, or been to prison, still need real change.
Middle class, socially acceptable Christians, still often need to break generational curses in mindsets and relationships. We still need to learn the power of "no secrets." We need to strive for godly character above all. And we need to know the power of caring for others and being cared for by others.
City Team: "By God's grace we provide a space where change can take place." That would be a good motto for a church, too.
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"Play at change" is such an appropriate whrase for us, Randy. I played for a long time, and had the feeling 'I should be doing better' as a christian, but I had no idea what Christian living ment. It was the wierdest thing: as soon as I figured things out and started to make some radical changes in my life, and those changes became visible to others, they began to feel compelled to tell me all the reasons they couldn't change. It's amazing the capacity we have to decieve ourselves. Praise God for hugely transformed lives that shake us out of our comfortable states.
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