March 21, 2007, 7:39 pm When the topic of church arises, do you think of a place to go? Is it an organization that provides a safe place for your community/social desires to be met? Is it where you take your kids so that someone wiser than you in religious matters can teach them how to not mess up their lives? Is it an experience to have? Is church something you shop for (by visiting and checking out several), pay for (by dropping some money in the offering), experience, and then feel good about the benefit or pleasure you derive from it?
Perhaps church encompasses all of the above, but the most important fact to remember about the Christian church is that “it’s not about you,” (as the opening sentence in The Purpose Driven Life says), but is all about reflecting the character of Christ to our community. This is the message of Ephesians 4.
I find that when I think of myself as a consumer of my church offered benefits, I see no end of things to find fault with. Somewhere along the line, my expectations will not be satisfactorily met.
However, when I think of myself as having responsibility to be a healthy, working part of a church community in order that it accomplish the purposes of Jesus Christ, I am motivated not to complain, but to serve.
March 21, 2007, 7:37 pm Reuter’s News describes a competition designed to promote “A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder,” by Eric Abrahamson and David Freedman, a new book that argues neatness is overrated, costs money, wastes time and quashes creativity. In other words, who’s got the messiest desk?
Had I known, I could have given the contest winners a run for their money. Several years ago, my (new to me) secretary watched me for a few weeks and then told me she saw no reason to file my papers and neaten my office. Anytime she asked for something I could find it in my stacks of stuff quickly. So I guess we saved time and money… Still, sometimes the mess got too deep and I had to clean it up. That felt good, but I could never make the neat look last more than a week. Perhaps that was just my creativity showing through.
March 20, 2007, 7:35 pm  Wanna walk out on a glass walkway nearly 4,000 ft over the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Not me! I get knots in my stomach just thinking about it. The tourist attraction opens at Grand Canyon West the end of the month.
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Consider this:“This is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” 1 John 3:23 |