Its been a few days since I have posted… so here’s an update. 

 I have spent a couple of days with a group of guys in Quincy. These men are  followers of Jesus who are eager to grow. It is so refreshing to talk with guys who are sincere and hungry. Several of them have backgrounds that are not so pretty, and they don’t fit into typical church settings at this time. That makes me wonder about the "Typical Church" in America… I love teaching them the bible… and watching them as they discover and experience Jesus in there lives.

 It was also a joy to spend several hours with a woman who grew up in the Kirksville church. I remember her as a little girl, and watched her grow up through our High School and then the Bible College. She enlightened me about her life, and the changes she has experienced in the past five years. 

 Her telling of the trauma that she experienced as a result of the church split in Kirksville was heart rending. It has left her confused about how to relate with people that she loves. It has put her in a situation where she feels she must choose sides. Yet she refuses to do so… which means she feels judged by everyone. She remains steadfast in her love for Jesus… and is a faithful member of another local congregation now.

 After leading this group for 20 years I too am saddened by these developments. I could understand completely where she was at… and I totally relate to her sentiments. I also have chosen to not choose between the various groups… but rather to choose all. As a result there is an uneasy loneliness.

(When asked by former member about who’s right or wrong… all I can come too… is that everyone is wrong… including me. However being wrong or right is never the basis of our freindships… Christ and the cross is our common bond.)

 It was good to have the opportunity to visit with her… to assure her of our love, and to help her process these developments by repenting for areas that I have recognized were wrong in me, and by helping her to see how love covers a multitude of sins. One lesson I take away from these experiences is about the importance and power of forgiveness… Maybe later I will write some of my thoughts on this topic… For now all I will mention is that forgiveness is hard work… and no relationship will endure with out it.