Spring Cleaning & The Spiritual Life (Anchor House Update #3)

Another post that was originally sent via email to friends and family regarding the Anchor House church planting adventure.

Last Sunday (4.1.07), the weather forecast called for rain most of the day, so instead of continuing my project of replacing windows at Stepping Stones Learning Center (www.steppingstoneslc.org) where my wife works, I opted to clean the kitchen. And I mean clean the kitchen. I took the knick-knacks off the tops of the cabinets and washed them down. Got out the gallon bottle of ammonia and poured it into my wash water and wiped down the dust up there. The dust on the cabinet above the stove was particularly stubborn as the grease from cooking made quite a sticky mess, so I had to break out the Oops, an industrial strength cleaner and de-greaser. I also pulled out the stove and refrigerator and was attacked by an army of dust bunnies. The floors got washed, the dust bunny army was vanquished and everything returned to normal in our kitchen. In short this was a Spring cleaning that was several years in the making.

"That's nice," you're saying, "But I thought this was about Anchor House. Not your home chores." And yet, it is about Anchor House.

This process of a thorough cleaning is really what the spiritual discipline of accountability or confession is all about. Getting our spiritual lives in order by the grace of God and the support of our brothers and sisters in the church. Accountability is a vital aspect of 2 of our core values at Anchor House. Spiritual Growth (or Discipleship) and Authentic Christian Community.

If we are to experience growth in our spiritual lives, we must be willing to pull out the refrigerator and mop down back there, we'll need to get the Oops and clean out those stick messes that we find. But we are not alone in this process. We have a few close brothers or sisters to help us, encourage us and for whom we can help and encourage as they sort through the junk in their lives. I believe this is what James meant when he wrote "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16).

As we learn to be accountable to a few people, it becomes easier to share our lives in authentic community with a larger group of brothers and sisters. Christian community, I believe, means sharing our lives, our time, our resources as a way of strengthening and building up the body of Christ. Together, we are stronger than we are alone.

Thanks to all of you who have expressed an interest in this adventure and who are praying for us!

Peace In Christ,