Religious Bigots

I recently shared some things God had shared with me in a meeting with a local pastor of a "church". I beleive Holy Spirit wants to localize himself, and visit these people, and I wanted to let him know. I had relationship with this person years ago, so there was some rapport.


Unfortunately at the end he asked me the magic question:

“So what is your position in relation to this church with what you just shared?”.

I told him I was committed to continue to pray and agree with what I saw God doing and encourage as much as I could. He then carefully (and respectfully) chose his words and said"

“It ummmm isn’t that I oh gosh I don’t know how to say this… ummmm there are 2 different types of people, those that relate to me from outside this church, and those that are inside it and are willing and part of the solution. I am wondering if God is asking you to be part of the solution.”

To which I replied (ever so carefully with antennaes flopping around in the air!):

“If I wasn’t willing to follow God and participate in something if He asked me, I wouldn’t share what I did with you”.

To which he replied:

“I would really have you pray about it and ask God if he wants you to get plugged in here.”

To which I replied:

“I am and will continue to ask God what he would have me do”.

Then he said:

“I love and respect you wither way, that isn’t the issue”.

And I said :

“Well ok, I will pray about it”.


UGGGGGGGHHHHH. I believe there is code in there somewhere for “Come join my institution”. But one thing I know, God has told me He loves them and is hanging out with them, and wants to know if I will to. Im asking this man to consider going way outside his convictions and comfort zones to engage God. For me not to do that is beyond simple hypocrisy. It completely undermines what God has done in my heart. If I cannot recognize the Body, regardless of how it gathers, relates, or expresses itself, I have gotten nothing from what God has taken me through and shown me. If I do not truly attempt to “one another” regardless of style, I might as well be a racist, because it is essentially the same thing. I am refusing to engage both God and the Body because of my position or my desires or preferences. And that makes me a bigot.

I don’t know that God is asking me to jump through their hoops and do whatever they construe as being “plugged in”. Most of that is silly stuff that has nothing to do with following Christ and expanding the Kingdom. But this man is very earnest. He was very transparent with me, and is about to go through something very intense. His desire is to do it right, and he is working with what he knows.

And I believe God is showing me that while community is wonderful, it isn’t the primary thing at all. We need one another, but the church exists to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, not to gather together. Gathering is a means to an end, which is to experience God, facilitate one another, and exemplify what the Kingdom is. The rest of it is wonderful, but not the primary reason she exists. Therefore, I need to be open to the fact that in my life, God may lead me to where He likes to go, and do what He likes to do, regardless of what I like, or how I like it. And I am open to that. It will just take a lot of discernment. But the only fruit in in His steps as He walks in the vineyard.