An Audience of One

If you google the term "Audience of One", a lot of stuff comes up. "Audience of One" is a documentary, a devotional, a song, a website address, a singing group, a book, a blog, a worship ministry, and a website design company. I'm sure it's more, but I got tired of making the list.

I happened to see it, originally, on the website of Steven Furtick. He was talking about a new book called "200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One". And I guess, for me, and so many other people that liked the term well enough to name their ministries after it, the term really stood out.

This week I've slowly started telling people that I'm leaving my church. And I got a very strong reaction. I actually made someone angry at me. They said I was needed at my church. And, seeing as I was not moved by the weight of obligation, they began listing reason after reason why I shouldn't leave.

There's nothing better out there.
Gas prices are too high to go driving around looking for churches.
You're needed there.
There's no reason to leave.
I'll get really discouraged not having a home church.
A person needs a home church.
There just isn't anything better out there.
You're needed there.

I don't get upset about people being angry with me, as a general rule. It's the fact that they don't agree with me that bothers me. The fact that they're angry seems to be more their problem than mine. Well, most of the time anyway.

But the weight of their frustration with me seemed to be like a chain that was really dragging my spirits down. Until I read the phrase "Audience of One".
It's hard to always remember who you're audience is. There's so many people in the background of your life, that you tend to fill the audience with those people. It's harder to imagine walking out on a huge auditorium and performing to a massive theatre with literally thousands of seats, yet only one is filled. (Or three if you want to include the Trinity) :)

I want to put my church in the audience of my life, my friends, my family, my co-workers, my foster kids,... for cryin' out loud, pretty much any random stranger that can see me from a distance I want to put in that audience.

But when I'm on this stage called life, all those people, are suppose to be behind me, hiding in the curtains crossing their fingers that I get my lines and movements right. And as my life plays out the only person really there to see the show - is God.