You're invited.

Several months ago I had a strange dream and it has taken me this long to hash out what God was trying to show me through it.

I was attending a pre-wedding party. There were a lot of people I did not know. We sat at a large table discussing the wedding. Apparently the wedding party wanted all the women in attendance to wear their wedding gowns to the wedding. I remember thinking that was really strange, but I was excited to participate. We left to drive over to the hotel where we were getting ready.

Along the way Mike was driving a large SUV. We drove past a party area. People were everywhere. Drinking and partying on patios and in the streets. I looked up and saw a woman in a skimpy dress on a balcony without a railing. She took out her lipstick, put it on, and then jumped to her death on the street below. She landed right by the passenger side of the car. I remember a sense of helplessness and sadness. A few people wondered over to look. They shook their heads in sadness, but nobody did anything. Nobody knew what to do. I didn't know what to do. We continued to the hotel.

Once we arrived I saw another guest in her dress. She looked so uncomfortable in it, like she didn't belong in it. I instantly became self conscious myself. I became certain I could not wear the dress to another person's wedding. Surely the bride didn't really want that. I didn't have anything else to wear! I frantically looked through a suit case and pulled out pants that looked like something my daughter would wear. I added a top that didn't match. I knew I looked silly and begged Mike to take me shopping. He insisted there was no time. We had to get to the wedding.

We arrived and I went to enter the ceremony. A man in a suit stopped me and began to ridicule me for what I was wearing. He told me I could not expect to ever enter the wedding looking like I did. He laughed at me and mocked me. I burst into tears and ran to Mike. Then I woke up.

I believe my dream was not only reflective of the condition of my heart at the time, but the condition of the church's heart. The church is the bride of Christ. We've lost our identity and authority. While participating in great things sounds exciting we lose our confidence in the midst of watching the world crumble. People around us are hurting and we aren't real sure what to do about it because we don't understand we have the answer for them. We don't understand we were meant to intervene on their behalf. We feel helpless and ill equipped to handle the problems.

We tell ourselves we have more preparation to do. We aren't ready yet. We fall for the lie we don't belong where God has called us. Then we settle for less than we were meant to have. We settle for less than we were meant to do. We compromise and convince ourselves God didn't mean you specifically when he said we would do things greater than him. He didn't mean to invite us to this. I'm just a guest watching everything he is about to do. I'm a spectator.

So we arrive at ministry moments, feel ill prepared and self conscious to find the enemy waiting to remind us of all the reasons we don't belong. He tells us we can't enter into what God has for us. And we believe him.

I settled for less than what I've been called to. The Church has settled for less than what they've been called to. We think we need more head knowledge, more experience, more talent, more money, more preparation to participate. Meanwhile the world is hurting and desperately needing for us to know who we are and what we are capable of through Jesus.

If you know Jesus, you're equipped. He's all the experience we need. You're only part to play is allowing him to do what he does best. I'm gonna get out of the way by stepping in the mess. You're invited too.