A Post from the Lawman and Me

Hey Friends! (sorry for varied font sizes...not sure what's up:)
 

We wanted to somehow communicate a Thank You and a Good-Bye. And some folks who have walked with us in this last season of life encouraged us to offer some sort of handles to our friends about our journey. A handwritten letter is in order, but not realistic right now. This blog was written by myself and the Lawman...

It's because of the familial tie that leaving Fort Worth was painful.  But Jesus promised pain, along with joy, if we follow him. And we trust his goodness even in the hard. You are the living breathing expression of His love to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. No words adequately describe how each of you has impacted our lives. You've been brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts – FAMILY to us.

The farmstead at dusk - no filter

It took some time, but we realized over the last couple of years that we would need space to deconstruct our hearts/thoughts regarding what it means for us to follow Jesus.

We know that there are many folks who can do this while staying in a structured organization, but we couldn’t muster the strength.  #christianfatiguesyndrome:)

Our story is in NO WAY a passive aggressive way to "point the finger" at anyone, it's just our story and if there's any finger pointing it's at us. 

While some find a career, a person, their family, dreams, ministry, etc. to be the center of their lives, church had become our world/gravitational center/identity that our everything revolved around in our spiritual walk - when we got down to it.  It was clear to us that we needed a clean break from that pull to find God's heart for us and what it means for Chris and Ami to practice our faith as His Bride out in the world, no matter how we gather.

We “left the building” last summer and began more deconstruction. It's can feel like an unending process. It has been very hard.  And yet it has been one of the most beautiful parts of our walk too.  We wouldn't trade the things we've learned about God, about people and about our hearts.  We are more in love with Him than we ever have been and more willing to do whatever He says.  But we also know the cost of that commitment more than ever as well.

Here are some of the main things we've gathered in our hearts:

·  The Trinity is the only center/gravitational pull worth attaching ourselves to...freeing all of us to go out into the world as the Bride of Christ.

·  The Spirit offers the Bride more freedom than we are often comfortable embracing.  Freedom to take Him to the hurting rather than expending our efforts to bring them into our organizations. Jesus talks about this when He's being mocked by the religious folks - "Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.” Mark 2:17 There are many beautiful "churches" (communities) already out there (cycling clubs, refugee communities, farmers markets, use your imagination - they're out there:) waiting to hear the Good News...we are excited to find them and share just how much He loves them...they already know how to gather and they all have gifts implanted by Him waiting to be expressed in His love to each other. 

·  The Bride is the most radiant of all of the Trinity’s creation.  She is a living, breathing being who expresses the beauty of the Fellowship. She is free. 

·  Following Jesus is HARD, but BEAUTIFUL, and not without great cost.  More than any of us can pay without His divine help. But the intimacy of His presence and knowing He loves you? It is worth more than any hard you could ever experience. Ever.

·  How we practice the sacred act of gathering as the Bride of Jesus is varied, but most stunning when we gather within the context of the Family/Trinity where the care of those who call Him King is primary. The seeds we scatter being left in His hands to bring up a harvest. Jesus was never *seeker friendly*, if anything we often sense that He was trying to talk us out of following Him until we knew what it would cost us. :) He knew what it would cost us everything to learn to love Him and people and walk in freedom.

·  We are creatures that find our voice/vocation/destiny both in the context of community and in the secret places of our individuality, living out who we are destined to be in the Creator-sewn fabric of our hearts.  

It's odd because we believed many of these things while we were in an organized church, but the truth is that it doesn't really matter what you believe (what’s in your head) – what matters is what you practice. This is a common experience for people who have left the building. And it was a dramatic/vulnerable move for us as we began to really practice what we believed without the validation of a traditional church body. 

We are grateful, but we are also very tired emotionally and even physically after making this shift.  A good tired, like the way you feel after running a marathon. 

Future Plans:

Chatt house

We recently made it to Chattanooga! Unfortunately, we had to say no to getting together with many folks we really love because of the time/energy/conflicting schedules it takes to prepare to move a large family across the country.  And at times, we couldn't seem to match up schedules during the last few weeks we were in the Fort. Hate it.

• Chattanooga is a great town in the process of revitalization. We look forward to getting to know her and her people!! It's a thriving urban city with a diverse population. A little drive east, while you drink your morning brew and eat a few pastries from a local Chatt bakery, you'll find yourself in the breathtaking beauty of several national forests with some of the best white water rafting on the east coast!  The trout fishing isn’t too shabby either.  Appalachia – a welcome respite.

• We bought 47 acres in Turtletown, TN, which is just north of Ducktown (you’re welcome...we think it’s funny too. LOL) and roughly 1.5 hours east of Chattanooga.  We didn't have the money to build a house out there right now, but we did buy a fixer upper of a home in Chattanooga on almost 2 acres.  God will provide the means to build on the farm when it's time and we'll just wait until He does that in His way.  One day, we hope to have a place there where all kinds of folks can come to find rest, peace and vision for the future.

The Lawman and our daughter

We hope you will always know that you are a welcome part of our (sometimes) crazy family. Family is a spirit bond that started with the fellowship of the Trinity and will last forever.  We hope you'll always hear Jesus and do whatever He says.  It is worth it.  He is worth it.  We also hope you will hear our loud, rowdy yells of encouragement from the hills of TN!  

And we want you to know that if we never see you again here on this side of the veil that we'll find you before the Throne and give you a big Burr style hug and we'll laugh together in the Presence of the Living God.

We love each of you so very, very much...

The Burr Clan...all crazy eight of us

Burr clan on the farm our first night in Tennessee