Seriously Discontented

I am seriously discontented right now.  Have you ever been there?  I am not even sure discontented is a word, but that is what I am feeling.

Bill Hybels wrote a great book called Holy Discontent.  The premise of the book is that in order to discover and pursue your unique calling and vision, you first must identify your “holy discontent” — that thing or issue that stirs your soul, and if you could, you would give life to.

In this new stage of life that I am in, I have been thinking a lot lately about what my holy discontent is.  There are certainly a number of issues that I am passionate about — hunger, poverty, AIDS pandemic, evangelism, sustainable urban development, fostering authentic and real community, etc.

But what is my real HOLY DISCONTENT?

After a lot of prayer and reflection, I think I know what it is — and it is really two things, one primary and one secondary.

It turns out that my primary “holy discontent” (and therefore my passion/vision) is still the local church.  I still believe to the depths of my soul that the LOCAL CHURCH IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD and that there is NOTHING LIKE THE LOCAL CHURCH WHEN THE LOCAL CHURCH IS WORKING RIGHT.

My holy discontent is simply churches that fail to be the church — that is, churches that fail to fulfill their full redemptive potential.  And the thing that still fires me up more than anything is the idea of helping the CHURCH BE THE CHURCH and live up to its full REDEMPTIVE POTENTIAL.

Because when the CHURCH IS THE CHURCH issues like hunger and poverty and AIDS and evangelism are all taken care of.  And without prevailing local churches?  Those are losing battles.

So that is still my primary VISION/PASSION (and holy discontent).

What is my secondary holy discontent (and therefore, vision)? In short, Tyler (read here and here).

In other words, that churches would stop inflicting so much damage and raising up so many barriers to the GLBT community.

I can’t tell you how many GLBT people I have personally spoken to in the last 6 months — and longer — who have stories of hurt and pain experienced at the hand of churches and Christians.  They have experienced serious soul damage, simply because they are GLBT.  And may of these folks have written off Jesus (or, more specifically, believe that Jesus has written then off) because of the message that the church has given them.  And the pain and damage runs incredibly deep.  It is real.  It is painful.  And it is a real barrier to people encountering God.

This holy discontent is not about me or my experience.  I know that Jesus loves me, that I am saved and under grace, that being gay does not change how much Jesus loves me, etc etc.  Me and Jesus are fine.  I will be okay.  But my heart literally cries for the soul damage done to so many people — created in the image of God, His precious children.

And the damage goes beyond just the fact that so many GLBT will never go to church — or think they must stay closeted to go to church or can only go to churches that never preach Christ.  It affects gay teens trying to figure out what is going on in their lives, it impacts people’s own view of themselves, it contributes to the unbelievably high suicide rates among GLBT’s, especially teens and college-aged.

And there is no reason for it… it is wrong… and the church must confess its failures and sins and seek forgiveness and reconciliation with the GLBT community.  And helping PREVAILING LOCAL CHURCHES authentically connect with GLBT people and become a place where they can authentically encounter God and become part of a community fully devoted to following Him.

What will this look like for me lived out? I have no idea yet… probably won’t look like any form of traditional ministry… but that is up to God and I wait on — and trust in — Him.

So what is your holy discontent?