Letting Go of the Baggage

A phrase often said around Lighthouse is, “There is no house like Lighthouse.” Last week I got the chance to go to another Assembly of God church while visiting some friends. What I found is there really is no house like Lighthouse. There were similar qualities shared between the two, but I have become so accustom to Lighthouse. After the service at the other Assembly of God church, I even found myself writing the altar call that I thought should have followed the sermon if I had been at Lighthouse. 

Another significant moment this week was on Saturday.  There was a new member breakfast held at Lighthouse. Pastor Ralph and Kathy both said, in some fashion or another, there is no church like Lighthouse. They also said that more than likely there have been other churches in your past. However, you cannot bring the comparison game into the church because chances are that Lighthouse will do things differently. Churches are living breathing bodies of believers. No two churches are going to look alike.

The problem is often people leave a church thinking that at another church they will be happy. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. What usually ends up happening is that the people "church hopping" bring baggage from their old church. Pastor Ralph encouraged the people at the new member breakfast to leave their baggage at the door.

For various reasons, I have had eight church communities in my life which I have called home for a season. Each community took an adjustment period for me to let go of my baggage. Some church communities I was little in, so my baggage looked much different than now as an adult. With every church a mark was left on me that I carried to the next church.

I have, in years past, kept a log of the positives I have learned in each church community God has allowed me to be a part of over the years. Rarely do I think of the negatives, the baggage, I carry from one community to another. Now as an adult I see the negative baggage I bring to the front door of a church. For example, in Youth with a Mission I know the baggage I brought was not liking contemporary music.  I was so bound and determined to find some hymns that I went to an Anglican church. In return,  I missed out on going to church with my other schoolmates. My baggage kept me from seeing the potential God wanted to grow me into...that of a more experienced believer.

Taking our baggage of expectations from one church to another does not solve the problem we are seeking to fix. Baggage often means your hands are already filled and have no room to take hold of something else. My challenge  to you is to let go of the baggage, good or bad, which a previous church gave you. It may even be a denomination that has given you baggage. If you are struggling right now in a new or old church, I would say to check and make sure you are not carrying baggage from a previous experience into this church. Let go of the baggage so that you can embrace what God wants to do with you in this church.   

Here at Lighthouse, if I did not learn to embrace the praise line (mosh pit) I would miss out on moments. Moments like when someone prays over you, putting their hand on your back and forehead to say God is working on you. Or a moment like today when I was so overwhelmed by the words I was singing that I was brought to my knees with tears streaming down my face.  I was thinking about the reckless love of Jesus as he was praying for the cup to pass in the Garden of Gethsemane but still willing to drink the wrath just for me. By embracing this new church God has planted me in for a season, I have found freedom to express my devotion.   

There are many things Lighthouse has done differently than I have experienced as I have written about in previous blog posts. Some things like doing hand motions to songs I used to do in Jr. High youth group, but “grew” out of due to it not being cool. On Wednesday, I enjoyed standing with a new friend, A2, getting back into doing hand motions in worship. I do not know the last time I smiled and laughed that much in worship.

I can say now that every church God has blessed me with time to be a part of has been moments God touched me with His grace to learn something new. I am glad God has given me the strength to leave baggage behind to embrace the new. 

On a side note we had snow on October 31^st here in Richmond.  Being a Southerner, I took a picture of the snow that stuck to the ground and made a snowball like it is so foreign to me. I even got made fun of for my excitement about the snow. Luckily, it did not stay on the ground for me to have to drive in it.