Why Do Chickens Crossroads?

People tend to be afraid of things that are intended to be liberating. Like flying on an airplane. Like riding a roller coaster. Like the big hat buckle wearers who fled religion to practice their brand of faith in the freedom of a New World. No this isn't a late Thanksgiving message. But doesn't it feel strange somewhere inside that people should ever feel they have to be afraid of an oppressing religion? Yet if you think about it in the context of your life you might find a similar story.

The last church we were at...

If you've been a church goer for any length of time then you probably hear this fragment come out of your mouth right before a complaint from time to time. Perhaps it didn't feel oppressive but having left your old way of doing things in the church world you now feel liberated. Or maybe you are one of those former die hard volunteers or full-time staff members that actually did feel oppressed occasionally. In either case a body of people can easily turn a faith in to a religion of rules and rituals that stifle the freedom that faith once held. But instead of being a complainer feel the call to action. Let your holy discontent grow you in to a purpose driven believer.

It's these observations and this discontent that fueled Crossroads. It's not that we were attending somewhere horrible where they were slinging whips and locking shackles. We just had the realization that the church that was in our hearts was not for everyone. It couldn't be superimposed on another churches structure or name. And to do it we had to start something new, somewhere new. The bricks made of 'what would this be like?' the mortar of 'why not?' we began building a church that God had been training our hearts for for years.

It's not easy at all though. I just thought it was hard work on full-time staff elsewhere. Our volunteers work harder than a lot of paid gigs and I'm infinitely grateful. They wake up at the butt crack of dawn to be ready for action by 7am. They turn a cinema into a church and back every week. Why? The same reason we started this thing. No matter how hard it is it's worth it. The freedom is worth fighting for. So we fight anger, disappointment, letdowns, no-shows, worry, stress, financial hardships, fatigue, and more because it's all worth it to do church the way God put it in our hearts. And while it would be worth it to see one life changed we've seen countless lives changed and they're growing in numbers. But it's still hard.

Why do chickens Crossroads? Because they became tired of being afraid to ask questions and take steps. They began the journey as chickens and with every difficult step they grow stronger and more confident. They grow in to something else. The real answer? Chickens don't Crossroads, Roadies do! Yeah boi!

Why do you Crossroads?
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