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So, before yesterday’s post settles too deep, I thought I should follow that idea up with this one:

…when the church becomes about you (or me, since i’m writing), it is not the church anymore…

This one can be a little confusing, because there will be times when the church, to be the church, must go above and beyond to serve you and give to you and to make you the priority… in times of need, mourning, hurting. But, if we begin to see this as the church’s obligation: they are here to meet my needs (read: selfish needs) then, well, you’ve just begun to see the church’s role through “greed-colored” glasses.  Going back to Erwin McManus from yesterday, he wrote a great book on character development: Uprising: a revolution of the soul. He takes the reader on three journeys (he calls them “quests”) of character development, one being a quest for nobility or generosity. Erwin writes: “Greed is narcissistic. Generosity is Christ-like. Greed is the product of self-love. Generosity is the product of selfless love.”

When the church becomes about what it can or cannot do for you, you’re on the wrong quest.  Now, looking for a place to worship that we fit into and a place where the vision and direction connects with us is not greedy. But taking, taking and taking from a [church] and then complaining when it doesn’t meet our needs is greedy and narcissistic.  Period.

A few years ago, a little nugget of a thought dropped into my mind…I like to think that God breathed it into me. I was in a meeting about how pastors and [church] leaders can help others become more like Christ. (simple task, right?) Anyway, I thought of where we traditionally go to get training…and the university came to mind: k.s.U. (Kansas State); a.s.U. (Arizona State) and others.  Then the thought came to me that if we want to become more like Christ then our lives have to become less about us. So, God’s university might be referred to as “Not.U.” because to live God’s life it cannot be about “u” but about loving, serving and leading others in a Christ-like way.  Want to live like Christ? Attend “Not.U.”  What to live a life worth living? Go to “Not.U.” It is my prayer that “not.U.” will be a vital part of day|xii’s  ministry.

What’s the church all about?

Not.U.