A Disruption

Last something something happened in church that I haven't been able to get off of my mind since.

To tell you this story I must first tell you about a young man in my Sunday School class. This young man is my age, I've known him since we were little, we went to the same church then and then as time went on both left it. By the time we were in High School our paths crossed again as we spent the High School years in band together. We weren't close but we were friends there was a mutual respect there. Then a few years ago, I had just finished my degree and moved back home, He was in a terrible car accident and came out of that with a brain injury. Now while brain disorders and brain injuries are two very different things, we still found that we could communicate through this minor common thing. We can now understand each other and have a connection of friendship few understand.

In Sunday School his dad taught and one of the points he wanted to make had a story of my friend in it. You could visibly tell this was one of those embarrassing childhood memories that only a parent can bring up to make you blush in a way that no one else could. Out of respect for my friend I'll not tell you the story. I will say that it wasn't bad at all and it was sweet and amusing. The very embodiment of everything this person has always been.

Being who I am, as soon as I saw him roll his wheel chair to the door my heart went out to him and I called out. Then I did something. I told an equally embarrassing story of myself. I told about my very first Sunday in church, how my mom had just fed me and right in the middle of the service I burped so loud that EVERYONE in the church heard. The preacher stopped the sermon and he joined everyone else laughing. I should also mention this happened Christmas Sunday of 1985, as my first Sunday at church I was about 2 weeks old and that's about how far my birthday is from Christmas. Point being... it happened and it's a little embarrassing, but also funny, so I told it. When I did, my friend turned his wheel chair around and calmed down.

I know people misunderstood why I did that. Some said it was because I wanted to one up him but really I just wanted to let him know the one thing I've always said to him since his wreck "we're in this together, you aren't alone."

After the sharing of his stories the lesson took an interesting turn. My friends dad started talking about how moments like mine and his sons were just moments that proved what we would be later in life... and I was confused...and a little worried. Burping in the church, what would that make me?

His son is a sweet person but he's also hilarious and that's what his story embodies about him. He's endearingly a smart alec too. Not the annoying kind the fun kind. And that's an amazing thing to bring to life and to a church family but... I do NOT want to be the bodily function lady. The burp in a church...

Then a friend of mine pointed out that what that could mean is that I was a disruption to the church. My eyes got huge! A DISRUPTION TO THE CHURCH?! That's HORRIBLE. Seeing my face she quickly amended "it doesn't really mean that is a bad thing"

THAT is where my thinking has got me... I have been a disruption to the church my entire life. One church I was at, when they wouldn't let me get saved at 8 I gave them a smart mouthed response "you deny me a place in the family of God. Would God deny me a place in heaven" and I was saved and baptized that night. At a southern baptist church with the help of others I brought in contemporary Christian Music to sing specials, on my own I brought in Christian rock.

Then I went to college and after fighting God about it for a month or two I went against everything I was taught and followed what God was teaching me...and I got a degree in youth ministry, a female, one that is still unmarried. I have disrupted many churches by doing that made many Christians (who by God's word ARE the church) very upset. But it's not a bad thing because in all of this God disrupted me, He made me who I am, the little girl that burped at a church service, doing what he made babies to do.
-Lynnea 


Distruption is: adisturbance or problem that interrupt an event, activity, or process


It's a very big possibility that God has created me to be a disruption, but as long as I stay with what He wants 

me to do, in the state that the church is in as a whole, don't you think that IS a good thing?! 


This is the kind of disruption that could be 
good: a radical change in an industry, business strategy, etc.,especially involving the introduction of a new product or service that creates a new market

As long as we stay away from this: forcible separation or division into parts.

Which in a lot of ways is what has plagued the church as a whole for most of it's existence. But that's a story for another time. Until then lets be the kind of disruption that makes God's Kingdom grow, and lets do it together! 

Excuse me ;)