My hopes for the IF:Gathering

I’m traveling to Austin tomorrow for something called the IF:Gathering. A generation of women gathering together to ask the question, “If God is real, then what?”

There has been something stirring in me for a few years now, and it all revolves around that important question. To be honest, I’m tired of comfortable Christianity. I’m frustrated with how my faith is portrayed in this social media let’s-all-blast-each-other-on-Facebook culture. I’m done with pithy sayings and words without actions.

I am craving authenticity. Messy authenticity. Real people having real conversations.

And I’m not the only one. We are gathering together because we are restless in the comfortable, we are unsatisfied with the American Dream Christian life. We toss and turn, ready to burst if we spend one more day not living out our purpose.

It is time.

And yet, I am nervous. Maybe it’s silly, but I’ll just be honest and say that I worry about how we will all mesh. I stress out about living up to people’s expectations of me, and people living up to expectations I might have of them. I wonder if we can humble ourselves enough to dive into good conversation in spite of our differences. I pray that we can leave celebrity at the door and reach out to those who might feel alone.

I know that we can, I just hope that we will.

Ed Gungor would tell us that this week is the perfect time for a Love Riot.  Before we can change the world, we need to care for each other.  That means humbly valuing each other and our differences.

So here is my prayer for this weekend:

May we gather together for the intended purpose.
May we seek out real friendships.
May we not use social media to name-drop.
May we avoid cliques even as we reconnect with old friends.
May we search out those who might feel left out.
May we take time to share stories, to listen to each other.

May we consider it a privilege to gather together as women. Women who will not wait for permission to do great things for God. Women who will push boundaries of what is considered acceptable. Women who will step into their calling. Women who are tired of BS. Women who are committed to messy authenticity.

Friends, let’s do this.  See you in Austin.