Origins…

Whats the Point #1: Remind Me

I’ve attempted life without church. I’ve tried with all my might to not live in genuine connection with the body of believers. Sometimes it was ignorance behind indecision. Other times it was frustration with the way church happened mixed with the desire to somehow reinvent myself. Either way, my choice to try to live as a follower of Jesus Christ completely on my own left me feeling…completely on my own. And lost. And confused. And just really dumb––like a sheep obsessed with following other sheep instead of the shepherd.

Then I moved to Boulder. And I learned about the true church––the living, breathing body of Christ here on earth––for the first time. I was finally free. Free to stop performing and impressing and following rules. Free to just be a dumb sheep who finally caught a glimpse of the Shepherd. I was invited to be in the process of knowing Jesus individually while continuously celebrating with others who He is in me, and who He is in them.

I love that our church met in folding chairs and couches in those early days. I love that we don’t own the building we worship in now. I love that the church I go to is made up of people walking with Jesus together. Period. I love that church is not one time or one place each week. It’s fluid and ongoing. It’s how we meet together throughout the week to look each other in the eye. It’s how we hurt together, laugh together, and choose to love all that is Boulder together. It’s just life.

The church––the community of believers who follow Jesus together––is vital in my life as the thing that pushes me to the Cross. I’m reminded of who the real Person of Jesus is. I see my sin pressed in to the Cross. I see the perfection and completion of His work there because I have people who tell me to look at it. I walk as a new creation, confident as a daughter of the King who wants me in His presence, because others have walked with me in my brokenness and rejoiced as God has begun to restore me.

We need each other, don’t we? We need to point each other to the truth when we can’t see straight. We need to not pretend we can live on our own. We need Jesus, and we need Him together. So how do we live all this church stuff out?

We show up. We just show up…to gatherings, to coffee dates, to living rooms, to each other’s lives. We choose togetherness over individuality. Availability over busyness. Honesty over pretense. And then we watch the river flow, baby. God meets us when we ask Him to meet us. He shows us the way when we desperately need direction. He answers us when we question. He comforts us and convinces us we are not alone. He is the Father who loves His family well. He is the Savior who washes the whole lot of us clean. He is the Spirit who dwells in every one who invites Him in.

I want to drink deep with my community. I want to know more and more of Jesus with you all, and then just see what all that Jesus-knowing looks like as we spend time together. I need you to push, prod, and remind me of the way, because it turns out that God created weak, forgetful me to be part of His body here. And frankly, I don’t want to miss out on the beauty and fullness of that experience (see Ephesians 3:14-21).

I know my Shepherd’s voice; I’ve learned to hear it with you all. Let’s keep moving toward Him as we catch a glimpse of His glorious kingdom together.

- Betsy Zenz

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