I recently asked a few of my regular readers to share what's on their minds. Thanks to Jill for her candid reply:
"Think."
"You said you wanted to know what I think. Think is a strange word to me these days. To think or not to think that is the ultimate question. I "think" I don't want to "think" any more.
"In the dictionary one of the definitions of the word "think" is to form or have in the mind.
"Sometimes my mind is so full of thought that I'm really not sure who's thoughts they are. Are they...Mine, God's or Satan's. I've heard it said that the mind is a terrible place to be. And so it is with me. I'm tired of my mind. I wish I could just shut it off. Tell it....STOP!!! Or better yet, have an opening in my skull so I can take my mind out, give it a good washing and put it back. Then maybe, just maybe I could find some of that "Peace of Mind" that I've heard about.
"I've been told though, that as long as I am struggling with things of this nature that I must be headed in the right direction. The struggles in life, I have discovered are what keep me so much closer to my Jesus.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. It's heart-warming to know that Jesus struggled with the same thing. In this knowledge alone, I WILL survive. "
Monday, December 20, 2004
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Perspective changes everything
This year, I've been uncharacteristically un-rushed about getting things done. The sudden death of a friend two weeks ago put my typical petty worries into perspective. God sent His Son into our grief-stricken world for times such as these.
Our family started celebrating Advent last year, when my daughter was 4. She loved the ritual of candle lighting and story telling. We knew right away it would be a lasting tradition. This year, she can hardly wait until Advent time each evening. Sometimes she tells the Christmas story; sometimes we read a short story or Bible passage. We sing a Christmas carol, she blows out the candles (with great enthusiasm), and then she opens a door on the Advent calendar which reveals a new character to add to the manger scene each day. Christmas really does change when you see it through the eyes of a child. Just yesterday she stood in the horse pen and told our old and patient pony the "real story of Christmas." I'm pretty sure he got it.
With my new involvement in the planning of a worship service each week, I've become more focused on the ritual and meaning of Advent for the church also. The symbolism of the candles combined with scriptures and traditional carols deepens the impact of the season on me. Don't get me wrong. I procrastinated about decorating, bemoan crowded stores, and fret over the budget like most everybody else. But those things aren't stored in the same pocket of my brain as the spiritual content of the Advent message. Helping lead others in the celebration of Christ's birth has ushered me into a more peaceful mindset for the season.
Perspective changes everything about Christmas.
Peace.
Our family started celebrating Advent last year, when my daughter was 4. She loved the ritual of candle lighting and story telling. We knew right away it would be a lasting tradition. This year, she can hardly wait until Advent time each evening. Sometimes she tells the Christmas story; sometimes we read a short story or Bible passage. We sing a Christmas carol, she blows out the candles (with great enthusiasm), and then she opens a door on the Advent calendar which reveals a new character to add to the manger scene each day. Christmas really does change when you see it through the eyes of a child. Just yesterday she stood in the horse pen and told our old and patient pony the "real story of Christmas." I'm pretty sure he got it.
With my new involvement in the planning of a worship service each week, I've become more focused on the ritual and meaning of Advent for the church also. The symbolism of the candles combined with scriptures and traditional carols deepens the impact of the season on me. Don't get me wrong. I procrastinated about decorating, bemoan crowded stores, and fret over the budget like most everybody else. But those things aren't stored in the same pocket of my brain as the spiritual content of the Advent message. Helping lead others in the celebration of Christ's birth has ushered me into a more peaceful mindset for the season.
Perspective changes everything about Christmas.
Peace.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Church Growth, cont.
Gary comments on church growth:
"It occurs to me that the issue of recruitment (building congregations) is overrated. If I have a restaurant, and the food in my restaurant is so poorly prepared that it leaves a bad taste in the mouths of my customers, no amount of recruitment will effectively increase my customer base. If, on the other hand, I devote much of my efforts to developing an excellent menu with quality customer service, eventually someone will stumble across my doorstep, if only out of curiosity. And, should they enjoy the experience, they will not only return, they will also tell their friends. While such a haphazard rate of growth might be insufficient to develop a viable business, building a viable congregation is not constrained (or should not be constrained) by such a tight timetable.
"I have encountered far too many churches that are in the business of building congregations through recruitment and spiritual fast food that pleases the palate without nourishing the soul. Like the seed "that falls on rocky ground where there is not much soil" (Mark 4:5)-such congregations may spring up suddenly but when the when the sun rises with its scorching heat and these tender seedlings are exposed to the harsh realities of life, their ill nourished members often whither away. It has been my experience that such congregations may continue to survive, but choked by weeds and thorns they will produce little fruit.
"When I was in college I had a garden that was literally worthy of recognition by Better Homes and Gardens. A tremendous amount of effort was invested in preparing the soil, scouting the garden shops to find the highest quality seeds and seedlings, planting the seeds, nurturing the seedlings, and keeping the garden free of weeds. My garden was a sight to behold, yielding a very large harvest, that is, until my busy schedule distracted me. In just a matter of weeks I returned to find my garden choked with weeds. My garden still contained some very healthy plants, but because of the weeds they were producing little in the way of fruit. It did not yield additional fruit until I cultivated the soil and removed the weeds.
"If we are going to have a garden we will have to scout for seedlings and if we are going to build a congregation some amount of recruitment will be necessary to assure a steady stream of new members. But it is my opinion that churches would be better served by focusing on the most important task of gardening-preparing the soil-before they begin to scout for seedlings. If the ground is too rocky and the soil too shallow the rocks need to be removed and the soil amended to improve the quality and depth. If there are weeds (jealousy, envy, competition, arrogance...) these need to be rooted out. Once the garden is growing continuous cultivation is necessary to loosen the soil and quickly remove any weeds that sprout up. And above all, we must remember that our job is to just to tend the garden. The business of producing and harvesting the fruit belongs to the Master Gardener. "Unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain." (Psalms 127) "
"It occurs to me that the issue of recruitment (building congregations) is overrated. If I have a restaurant, and the food in my restaurant is so poorly prepared that it leaves a bad taste in the mouths of my customers, no amount of recruitment will effectively increase my customer base. If, on the other hand, I devote much of my efforts to developing an excellent menu with quality customer service, eventually someone will stumble across my doorstep, if only out of curiosity. And, should they enjoy the experience, they will not only return, they will also tell their friends. While such a haphazard rate of growth might be insufficient to develop a viable business, building a viable congregation is not constrained (or should not be constrained) by such a tight timetable.
"I have encountered far too many churches that are in the business of building congregations through recruitment and spiritual fast food that pleases the palate without nourishing the soul. Like the seed "that falls on rocky ground where there is not much soil" (Mark 4:5)-such congregations may spring up suddenly but when the when the sun rises with its scorching heat and these tender seedlings are exposed to the harsh realities of life, their ill nourished members often whither away. It has been my experience that such congregations may continue to survive, but choked by weeds and thorns they will produce little fruit.
"When I was in college I had a garden that was literally worthy of recognition by Better Homes and Gardens. A tremendous amount of effort was invested in preparing the soil, scouting the garden shops to find the highest quality seeds and seedlings, planting the seeds, nurturing the seedlings, and keeping the garden free of weeds. My garden was a sight to behold, yielding a very large harvest, that is, until my busy schedule distracted me. In just a matter of weeks I returned to find my garden choked with weeds. My garden still contained some very healthy plants, but because of the weeds they were producing little in the way of fruit. It did not yield additional fruit until I cultivated the soil and removed the weeds.
"If we are going to have a garden we will have to scout for seedlings and if we are going to build a congregation some amount of recruitment will be necessary to assure a steady stream of new members. But it is my opinion that churches would be better served by focusing on the most important task of gardening-preparing the soil-before they begin to scout for seedlings. If the ground is too rocky and the soil too shallow the rocks need to be removed and the soil amended to improve the quality and depth. If there are weeds (jealousy, envy, competition, arrogance...) these need to be rooted out. Once the garden is growing continuous cultivation is necessary to loosen the soil and quickly remove any weeds that sprout up. And above all, we must remember that our job is to just to tend the garden. The business of producing and harvesting the fruit belongs to the Master Gardener. "Unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain." (Psalms 127) "
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Family
Acts 2:44 says, "All the believers were together and had everything in common."
Today there was a tragic death in our church. News reached the pastor during worship, and the service necessarily came to a screeching halt.
Suddenly, all my planning and fretting about music, worship order, candle lighting and getting it right didn't matter. What mattered was people. In unison we reacted with shock, disbelief, and sorrow. Some rushed off to be with the family. Others stayed behind to do what needed to be done. Church became, today, more than liturgy, or even meaning spiritual experience. Church became family. We don't share all of our possessions, like the early church, but we are sharing in burden bearing. And rightly so.
However we experiment with various styles of worship, creative programs, and even internet church, it all comes down to one thing. The Church is the living flesh of God on earth. As the Bride of Christ we've been made one with Him by the Holy Spirit, and we act on His behalf to love, lift up, and nurture one another. If we ever stop doing those things, we have failed Jesus Christ. God forbid.
Footnote: the gurus still have been unable to get any machine to recognize my hard drive. I'm operating intermittently on my husband's laptop, which I loathe. Things will progress more slowly for a little while longer, but it looks like Santa will be coming early with an entirely new computer. There go those books I had on my wish list...
Talk to you soon.
Today there was a tragic death in our church. News reached the pastor during worship, and the service necessarily came to a screeching halt.
Suddenly, all my planning and fretting about music, worship order, candle lighting and getting it right didn't matter. What mattered was people. In unison we reacted with shock, disbelief, and sorrow. Some rushed off to be with the family. Others stayed behind to do what needed to be done. Church became, today, more than liturgy, or even meaning spiritual experience. Church became family. We don't share all of our possessions, like the early church, but we are sharing in burden bearing. And rightly so.
However we experiment with various styles of worship, creative programs, and even internet church, it all comes down to one thing. The Church is the living flesh of God on earth. As the Bride of Christ we've been made one with Him by the Holy Spirit, and we act on His behalf to love, lift up, and nurture one another. If we ever stop doing those things, we have failed Jesus Christ. God forbid.
Footnote: the gurus still have been unable to get any machine to recognize my hard drive. I'm operating intermittently on my husband's laptop, which I loathe. Things will progress more slowly for a little while longer, but it looks like Santa will be coming early with an entirely new computer. There go those books I had on my wish list...
Talk to you soon.
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Meltdown
I'm checking in briefly to let you know that I've had a computer meltdown. For you techhie types, the guru said I have, "major hardware problems." Most likely the motherboard. Ouch and ka-ching.
Please come back again soon. I expect to have regular access to a computer again within a few days.
Please come back again soon. I expect to have regular access to a computer again within a few days.
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