First of all, oops!!
Somehow when i wrote this post on friday somewhere between me finishing the writing, finding a you tube clip and posting the blog, all of the text vanished into cyberspace.
So here is a very similar post to what i had written:
The last few weeks have been a very hectic time. There was kids camp, then basketball carnival and then officers fellowship. At onw stage i think i had spent one night at home out of a total of 12 or something like that.
The Salvo national basketball carnival was good. I had a great time, met lots of new people and learnt a lot too.
The first thing i learnt was that will power can only hold a cold at bay for so long.
Just before kids camp i started to feel that rough sore feeling at the back of my throat that so often precedes a cold.
All the way through camp and then carnival i willed myself to stay well and not get sick. I also prayd to God "Please dont let me get sick while I'm away, i need to stay well." Well God answered my prayer, and i satyed well until i got back. In hindsight i guess that i should have just prayed that i wouldnt get sick and left it at that. Now i have a cold, and although i am starting to feel better, it is really frustrating. I hate being sick.
The second, and probably far more interesting thing that i learnt, though it actually is more like i had it re-revealed to me by God was the importance of working together as a team in Christ.
It may surprise some of you to know that i am not a great basketballer. For those of you who saw me this you would already know. As far as hitting baskets and scoring points went, some games i wondered if i could have hit water if i fell out of a boat, not a single shot would go in!!
Fortunately for my team mates, i wasn't completely rubbish at every aspect of the game, and i did improve as the carnival progressed. It turns out that im not to bad at boxing out (the term used to describe keeping opposition players away from the rebounding ball after a shot) and i can take the odd rebound or two.
This is like us in the church. Not all of us are meant to be the pastor, not all of us are meant to be in the welcoming group at the front door, not all of us are meant to be yout or childrens workers. We all have a different role to play in our local church, and our local churches all have a role to play in our city/town/neighbourhood.
So if your job is making sure that the hall is clean for church on Sunday, don't feel discouraged, because your job is very important, just because everyone doent see you doing it, doesnt make it unimportant. If the church was dirty, who would want to come into it??
It's up to us to make a difference, none of us are exempt form telling our friends about Jesus, but we all do that in different ways, which is important, so that we can reach different people.
In 1 Corinthians 12: 14-20 Paul says:
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body
Lets all work together for the benefit of the Kingdom of God, and if that means scrubbing a toilet or two, im ok with that.
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Dead Sea
Recently, while i was travelling around the division, someone asked me why they call the Dead Sea the Dead Sea. For the life of me i can't remember who it was though, so if you're reading this post, and it was you who asked me the question, here is the answer:
After some discussion with others and a quick check of that encyclopedia that has info on just about everything, Wikepedia, it turns out that the Dead Sea has an incredibly high salinity level, approximately 30% making it the second most salty body of water and almost impossible for life to exist in it's waters. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest place on the planet not covered by water or ice at 418 metres below sea level. The Dead Sea is also the terminus for several rivers, the most significant being the Jordan River. The Dead Sea does not flow out to any thing, it is the final destination for the water from the rivers and their tributaries.
Coincidentally, while in a meeting yesterday i heard the dead sea used in an interesting analogy. We were talking about the role of the church, and how in some places the church is much like the Dead Sea. Some churches appear to be the final resting place for much activity. People come to church, come to faith and come to do nothing in the church. It appears there is a mentality that once you are a member of the church there is no further need for activity. It was suggested to those of us gathered that, perhaps, instead of our churches being like the Dead Sea, our churches should be like a spring or catchment area instead. That instead of the church being the final destination, the church should act like a catchment that collects water and focuses it and sends it out to the sea/ocean. The new people we see coming to our churches are like the rain, sent from God, which the church collects and channels into doing things. And as these people are sent into the world we see change coming, areas once barren and dry are reinvigorated with new life, life is given and change occurs.
It's an interesting thought isn't it.
It's amazing what happens when a thought process is changed.
After some discussion with others and a quick check of that encyclopedia that has info on just about everything, Wikepedia, it turns out that the Dead Sea has an incredibly high salinity level, approximately 30% making it the second most salty body of water and almost impossible for life to exist in it's waters. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest place on the planet not covered by water or ice at 418 metres below sea level. The Dead Sea is also the terminus for several rivers, the most significant being the Jordan River. The Dead Sea does not flow out to any thing, it is the final destination for the water from the rivers and their tributaries.
Coincidentally, while in a meeting yesterday i heard the dead sea used in an interesting analogy. We were talking about the role of the church, and how in some places the church is much like the Dead Sea. Some churches appear to be the final resting place for much activity. People come to church, come to faith and come to do nothing in the church. It appears there is a mentality that once you are a member of the church there is no further need for activity. It was suggested to those of us gathered that, perhaps, instead of our churches being like the Dead Sea, our churches should be like a spring or catchment area instead. That instead of the church being the final destination, the church should act like a catchment that collects water and focuses it and sends it out to the sea/ocean. The new people we see coming to our churches are like the rain, sent from God, which the church collects and channels into doing things. And as these people are sent into the world we see change coming, areas once barren and dry are reinvigorated with new life, life is given and change occurs.
It's an interesting thought isn't it.
It's amazing what happens when a thought process is changed.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Occasionally i spend some time reading other peoples blogs, i like to see what other people are thinking and why. Recently i read a blog about the structure of the church and whether or not it was effective.
While i think the blog had some valid points about how church was done (the example given of a standard church meeting lead went something like this: Call to worship, Songs, Prayer, Songs, Sermon, Songs) it think that the proble with some worship services is not so much the structure but the content. I heard it said once that "a good sermon will not get people into a church, but a bad sermon will certainly stop people from coming back." I think that this is very true. Worship services should serve to guide the congregation into a place where they experience God in spirit and in truth. I am as gulty as any one of having preached a sermon whilst feeling and being underprepared, and i know that it was a lame excuse on my part, but i have learnt from these experiences.
The blog i read suggested that reproducing small groups were a better alternative to 'church'. Ii think the key word with the small groups is 'reproduce'. So often these small groups become little cliques that an 'outsider' is excluded from.
While i believe that small groups are vital, i also believe that 'church' is important. the passage in Acts 2 that was included spoke about the things that the believers did. The passage showed that ALL of the believers met together in the temple courts IN ADDITION to meeting in their small groups.
Small groups should be a place of fellowship, teaching BIBLICALLY SOUND TRUTHS, as it appears some groups are not so great on this, preferring instead to teach their post-modern interpretaion onf what they think the bible says to them. Small groups should also provide accountability to its members. I think church should build on this, providing a celebration of faith, teaching, challenging and providing opportunities for people to commit or recommit their lives to the LORD. While this can happen in small groups i believe opportunities in bigger meetings should provide an atmosphere for people to make a decisions.
In conclusion i leave you with Paul's words "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." from Heb. 10: 24 -25.
And one final thought:
Is it that the model of church as we know it is not working, or is it that the people who go to church aren't doing the required leg work before they bring thier friends to church, are people even brining their friends to church???
Adios Amigos
P.S I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this.
While i think the blog had some valid points about how church was done (the example given of a standard church meeting lead went something like this: Call to worship, Songs, Prayer, Songs, Sermon, Songs) it think that the proble with some worship services is not so much the structure but the content. I heard it said once that "a good sermon will not get people into a church, but a bad sermon will certainly stop people from coming back." I think that this is very true. Worship services should serve to guide the congregation into a place where they experience God in spirit and in truth. I am as gulty as any one of having preached a sermon whilst feeling and being underprepared, and i know that it was a lame excuse on my part, but i have learnt from these experiences.
The blog i read suggested that reproducing small groups were a better alternative to 'church'. Ii think the key word with the small groups is 'reproduce'. So often these small groups become little cliques that an 'outsider' is excluded from.
While i believe that small groups are vital, i also believe that 'church' is important. the passage in Acts 2 that was included spoke about the things that the believers did. The passage showed that ALL of the believers met together in the temple courts IN ADDITION to meeting in their small groups.
Small groups should be a place of fellowship, teaching BIBLICALLY SOUND TRUTHS, as it appears some groups are not so great on this, preferring instead to teach their post-modern interpretaion onf what they think the bible says to them. Small groups should also provide accountability to its members. I think church should build on this, providing a celebration of faith, teaching, challenging and providing opportunities for people to commit or recommit their lives to the LORD. While this can happen in small groups i believe opportunities in bigger meetings should provide an atmosphere for people to make a decisions.
In conclusion i leave you with Paul's words "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." from Heb. 10: 24 -25.
And one final thought:
Is it that the model of church as we know it is not working, or is it that the people who go to church aren't doing the required leg work before they bring thier friends to church, are people even brining their friends to church???
Adios Amigos
P.S I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this.
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