Empire In Goal

I wonder....If your doing new stuff, what it is you measure yourself...(inner self and your life lived out) by?
And b4 i even get into what i mean - God reminds me of a meeting of town leaders, where everyone does the obligatory "hi im Jon, and im from St Bilbo's" like its actually a living place or entirely separate geography. Anyways... as i dont have a 'thing' by which i can be identified and pigeon holed, i was foolish enough to say " hi - im gaz and im trying something new" to which there were titters of laughter and the comment, 'well of course... were all doing something new garry'...if only that were true. AND why do people of previous generation call you by your full name when they are being condecending?

So - back to my point....OH i do love a rant!!!

Yeah - what do you measure yourself, inner self and spiritual well being /practices by? Is it in proximity to something, a place, a person, a container with the name church? possibly, but what if your done with all that stuff...what are you measuring yourself by? Or even worse - what /who are you looking over your shoulder at.
I only ask as ive been processing it with some guys recently, just how much 'empire' is still our measuring rod in our new journeys. I still find people measuring their worth or success through their proximity to senior pastors in town, still wanting the credentials of a group with a name through which to be references as safe or valid (part of the evangelical alliance / charismatic leaders net - something at the bottom of our letters). Its funny, and sad that i keep finding people in new landscape who's success story is relative to how close they are to 'key' people, 'leaders' of construct, or connection to leaders of 'big' established churches. I dont mean who are you in proximity to - hopefully lots of diverse people and setting, i mean who are you measuring your whole self up against. Whos dissaproval or criticism or cold shoulder would cut you most in church stuff? Why? What do they have on you or over you? Is it something you are yet to be free of - something which has come with you?
Its not a biggy - i just wondered what people measure their worth and progress in proximity to in a earthly sense? I wonder if there is still empire stuff woven into it? Perhaps you measure your worth by your distance from something - thats a whole other can of worms.
G