What I Learned From Mr. Crabb

I am reading the book Real Church by Larry Crabb and it has been so encouraging and pointed. This pilgrimage was begun kind of out of a avid curiosity to find "real church" but I couldn't really put into words exactly what that felt like in my spirit. This is what I read this morning:

"...we must be clear what the more  is that makes a gathering into a church, and what that moreis designed to accomplish in people's lives. If that is clear, we'll know what we're praying for and we'll recognize revival when it comes."

"...we must be convinced - and this will not come easily - that the required more can only be provided by the Spirit of God. We can arrange for a religious gathering, even a Christian gathering that does good things, but only God can make a church.

"The more I pray for revival, the more obvious truth is becoming obvious. Unless the Spirit shows us what most delights (and offends) the Father when we get together, we will come up with all sorts of ideas and hopes and ways of doing things like worship and preaching and small groups that will have one devilish thing in common, one devilish thing that we will regard as angelic; manageability. We will pull it off, we'll make something happen, and we'll call it church."

"Unbroken people set their sights on things they can manage. With the right talent and enough charisma, any gathering can stir people's emotions, create the illusion of transcendence, generate an experience that we'd swear was worship, and help us feel better. Add in practical instruction for managing negative emotions and doable strategies for communicating more effectively as spouses, parents, friends, and colleagues, and people will not only feel better but also live better. We'll live happier more successful lives, without really needing God, certainly not the cross of Christ or the power of His Spirit."

There you have it - enough said!