The Rock
I find myself at the back of a church, held in one of the CSU campus buildings. I'm talking with a guy that I met during the service, Steven, who is active in SCA fencing, as well as being a PK deeply interested in theology and comparative church analysis (making me a very interesting conversation for him, I'm sure). And I feel this impression that the conversation I'm having with him is not the only thing I have to do there that night.
I bid him farewell and go walking, turning left into the aisle. Immediately I feel it's the wrong way. I take a step or two more, still processing the feeling, and it's confirmed. So I turn around, and it vanishes.
I follow this internal divining rod out into the lobby, weaving through people until I am standing a few feet away from another guy. His conversation ends at almost that exact moment. I continue to stand for only two, three seconds before he engages me. We exchange names and he says, "so this is the question I ask everyone, sort of a break the ice thing. What are you passionate about?"
This of course launches me into a conversation about Dagorhir, it being one of my great passions. After explaining what it is (and being referred to Steven, to which I respond with a chuckle that I've already talked to him at some length), I turn the question to him.
"I am passionate about supporting people. About helping them take their dreams and make them into more than they ever imagined. Having people stand on my shoulders, if you will."
As he is talking, a link is made in my mind. Along with another feeling. So I ask him if he'd like me to train him in Dag. Within about five minutes of starting the conversation, we are exchanging numbers so that we can find a good time for me to train his entire house, which while I don't know the numbers, is probably between 3 and 7 guys (based mostly on the word choice "our house" as opposed to "my roommates").
The problem I've had with starting another chapter of the Followers here in Fort Collins has been twofold. First, I don't feel ready to lead any group that focuses on God, because my beliefs are still uncertain and weakly established, and my life practice still scattered and "unwise" enough that I am not really qualified. Second, I haven't had a group of people interested AS WELL AS closely linked to God, where a God-focused group would be realistic.
I followed my leading to a guy who, more or less, answered both questions.
I'm not going to definitively say that this connection will spawn the next chapter. Until he tries Dag, I won't know if he (or anyone in his house) enjoys it enough to build a group around it.
What I do know is that I rarely get those kinds of strong internal leadings (discernment, if I can use that term), and that usually following them turns out pretty well.
I can also say with some certainty that I've found my church home...if only because I am forming connections at almost unheard-of(-for-me) rates.
I bid him farewell and go walking, turning left into the aisle. Immediately I feel it's the wrong way. I take a step or two more, still processing the feeling, and it's confirmed. So I turn around, and it vanishes.
I follow this internal divining rod out into the lobby, weaving through people until I am standing a few feet away from another guy. His conversation ends at almost that exact moment. I continue to stand for only two, three seconds before he engages me. We exchange names and he says, "so this is the question I ask everyone, sort of a break the ice thing. What are you passionate about?"
This of course launches me into a conversation about Dagorhir, it being one of my great passions. After explaining what it is (and being referred to Steven, to which I respond with a chuckle that I've already talked to him at some length), I turn the question to him.
"I am passionate about supporting people. About helping them take their dreams and make them into more than they ever imagined. Having people stand on my shoulders, if you will."
As he is talking, a link is made in my mind. Along with another feeling. So I ask him if he'd like me to train him in Dag. Within about five minutes of starting the conversation, we are exchanging numbers so that we can find a good time for me to train his entire house, which while I don't know the numbers, is probably between 3 and 7 guys (based mostly on the word choice "our house" as opposed to "my roommates").
The problem I've had with starting another chapter of the Followers here in Fort Collins has been twofold. First, I don't feel ready to lead any group that focuses on God, because my beliefs are still uncertain and weakly established, and my life practice still scattered and "unwise" enough that I am not really qualified. Second, I haven't had a group of people interested AS WELL AS closely linked to God, where a God-focused group would be realistic.
I followed my leading to a guy who, more or less, answered both questions.
I'm not going to definitively say that this connection will spawn the next chapter. Until he tries Dag, I won't know if he (or anyone in his house) enjoys it enough to build a group around it.
What I do know is that I rarely get those kinds of strong internal leadings (discernment, if I can use that term), and that usually following them turns out pretty well.
I can also say with some certainty that I've found my church home...if only because I am forming connections at almost unheard-of(-for-me) rates.