Some time back, my blogging friend Fred Peatross shut down his blog for a while with the simple post, “This blog needs a rest.”
I think this blog needs a rest, too.
Recently it has been the battleground of concepts at war in my mind and heart that have left me drained and empty and angry and cold.
Most of those concepts have to do with “how to do church.”
Yup, I’ve let myself become a grumpy, irritating, belligerent jerk not just here, but in the comments I’ve left elsewhere, over “how to do church.”
I don’t know how to do church.
I really don’t.
I don’t have a clue.
And I don’t know how I could have finished a Lenten fast having gained so much arrogant weight above the neck.
I appreciate the kind words and encouragement so many have left here. I wish I had shown the same grace.
When I can show some grace again, I’ll come back here.
Right now, I believe I need to refocus on Christ.
Blog In My Own Eye 
I wish that I didn’t understand. But, I can tell you it will be a happy day when I see on bloglines that there is a new post at Blog in My Own Eye.Grace and Peace to you my brother.
Well… I certainly understand but you will be missed.
Awww…and this right after I express how much i am blessed by your thoughts. That’s okay, though, like tcs said above, I also am afraid I understand more than I’d like to, especially at this point in my life. So take as much time as you need to re-focus, i’ll be waiting patiently, and looking forward to when you will be back, brother.
Go with God, Keith. I understand needing a rest. I’ll miss your posts, and pray for you to have a restful and refocusing blogfast.Lara
Keith, I love your heart! I will be here waiting faithfully…….promise. God’s richest blessing on you!DU P.S. My experience is that focusing on “church” and how to do it can COMPLETELY zap a person of all of their joy. Sad, huh?
ditto to all of the above….we will keep the light on for you..
Keith; I understand your frustration more than most people. I have noticed on your blog you have become more inquisitive more searching for the truth. Not just what another person has told you was the truth, that is exactly what we are told to do. It becomes frustrating when you search and find the truth does not agree with what you have been taught. When we truly look for God’s truth we will find it. “How to do church?” you will never find this in the “Gospels” how to follow Christ you will find. When we are determined there is one way “To do church” where do we go, to the writings of Paul( no women preachers.”Paul”)( no participation in service for women “Paul”)(this do in remembrance of me.”Paul”) and we add things of our own (No IM) worship only on sunday. and it goes on and on. I know we might be shocked to learn that Jesus never said “this do in remembrance of me.” since you have time on your hands, read my latest post and tell me where I am wrong, but wait untill you get over being mad that I would question Paul, before leaving comment. do we belong to the church of Christ, or the church of Paul?
Love ya brother, you have been a big impact on me and my faith and its all thanks to your grace.Thank you and come back soon.
Laymond, in Luke’s account of the Passover supper Jesus shared with the apostles, Chapter 22, v.19, Jesus does say “do this in remembrance of me.” This is the only version of the 3 in which those words are recorded, however.Keith, don’t stay away too long. I find that I have MORE grace after reading your posts, rather than less.
Laymond, I just now went and read your post, and see that you do reference the Luke passage in your post. My only response to your post would be that because M, M, and J didn’t record those words does not mean that they weren’t said. If I’m supposed to believe Luke less because he was not at the supper, why should I think I can change what he wrote because I was not at the supper, either, and am writing close to 2,000 years removed from the event?Other than that, I guess I have no problem with your supposition. (and by the way, I am really not trying to be argumentative, just taking you up on your invitation to read it and tell you what I think)
Don; I don’t see everything that someone else sees differently than myself as an argument, people do and should have discussions without them turning into an argument, or harsh discourse and I don’t take offence when a person disagrees with what I understand to be an important point to make, to look at when we read the bible. The bible is all we have been left to learn from and to guide us. Now to the point of my entire post on my blog. We see in 1 Cor. where Paul said Jesus told us to take communion in rememberance of him, but if we take it without a pure heart we are condemning ourself to hell.If I read what Paul said correctly, Then would you not expect something so important to our soul to at least be mentioned by two apostles who were at this supper, and the right hand man to Peter? this question was the total point to my post. by the way thanks for reading it.
Jesus didn’t say that he’d send a bunch of people to write a bunch of stuff down so that you could spend your life trying to piece the puzzle together and understand God… He said He’d send the Holy Spirit to teach us.But we don’t trust the Holy Spirit, because we don’t trust God. So, we turn to what is written to attempt to come to a point of trust in God, but it won’t come. We are filled with doubt and fear because we want to control what we know, instead of listening to God, who is in our hearts.
bruced; as Don said I don’t want to argue the point but, If you read John 14 carefully you will find Jesus said he would send the comforter “which is the holy spirit” to remind and teach the apostles, and specificaly excluded the world at large.
That’s cool, friend. You should believe whatever your heart and mind tell you to believe. I hope for you only the best of life and great happiness. Peace!
I had found myself in the same place… I still don’t do much blogging about God, although I’m still crazy about Him. I had just let myself get bitter. It was time to take a break.Now, I’m just blogging about my impending litter of kids my wife and I are having… I’ve found that much more pleasant to talk about than my limited and often wrong ideas about how church should be done.When you come back, we’ll be waiting to read. Much love brother!
i have truly enjoyed your blog …. it has often challenged me to press in and press on …. to think about what i believe and how i live …. i pray that you will return soon refreshed and renewed from spending time in his presence
Keith, I know it’s only been a few days but I hope all is well.
We’re okay here … Angi wasn’t a match for the position she had applied for. We had prayed that God would work to His glory through the process, and feel our prayers were answered. So it’s been a bit unsettling here to wait for that answer and try to prepare in case we would be moving out-of-state again.I’ll put up an interim post in a few minutes – I hope it reflects some refocusing.I go through these slightly darker seasons. Everyone does. If we were all perfectly persuaded 100 per cent of the time by the incontrovertible facts of spirituality, it wouldn’t be called “faith.”Thanks for asking, JP.