"It" and "ME"

I'm reading "It" by Craig Groeschel (bout halfway through, thanks to John D. for lending me a copy). In "It" he writes about those churches that are filled with this undefinable quality...something I would define as life. I've been in church bodies that are alive. I've also been in church bodies that are comatose. I've even been attached to churches that were dead. As a minister who hopes to build a ministry that is full of "It" (as opposed to being "full of it", very different) I find it necessary to search for "It" so I never find myself running a comatose or dead ministry.

Part of the "It" idea is really, really exciting. As Christians, we've all experienced"It" personally. "It" overflows and you can't contain "It". You have to shout and dance and sing and raise you hands and tell others how full of joy you are, and why this joy overflows in you spirit. And you cry. When "It" is present you bawl. (that's true Texan word usage) See when "It" happens to you, you realize who you truly are and what your worth. You have a dirty tattered rag of a life and Christ openly offers an exchange. A spotless gleaming robe. And all he wants in return is your rag. And when you get that, you weep. I'm don't deserve what I've been given...and I don't want what I deserve.

Another part of "It" is scary. Because, as Groeschel writes, "It" can disappear without much notice. Why? At this point, I'm not sure I know...to be real honest it probably has something to do with a connection to the Holy Spirit. But we've all lost "It" at some point. In my experience when we realize we've lost "It" we don't turn inward and find that connection with the Holy Spirit ...Instead we turn to our outward appearance. We know we've lost "It", but we can't let anyone else know that. We concentrate on "ME" instead. What do I mean?

We began to make sure nobody else sees "ME" as I really am...They need to see the "ME" I want to project. A religious and u[right "ME". As I've began defining my own ministry I've pointed to some important things I want to help students get that will make them fully devoted Christ followers. One of those things was to "Avoid the Mausoleum Effect" referring to Christs admonishment of the Pharisees as "whitewashed tombs". On the outside beautiful but full of death and decay on the inside. I picked the words "Mausoleum Effect" quite by accident, an attempt to paraphrase and update the idea of whitewashed tombs. But on the bus thinking over it I realized the "Mausoleum Effect" occurs when I focus on "ME" (first letters of Mausoleum Effect). When I focus on making "ME" look right to everyone else without finding that Holy Spirit connection I make sure I'm beautiful on the outside, but inside I am full of decay.

So to me I find that the opposite of "It" is "ME". And the "ME" is the last thing I want to experience.