I loved the movie Amazing Grace. William Wilberforce is a wonderful image of tenacious righteousness!
Would that the whiny, wimpy politicians of today might exchange their spinelessness and self-absorption for his self-sacrificing courage...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Are you the One?
In my ABF -- Adult Bible Fellowship, basically adult Sunday school -- this morning, our teacher was talking about John the Baptist's question of Jesus, "Are you the one, or should we expect someone else?" It's an odd question, considering that John was the first to recognize the Lord, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
The discussion as to why one who knew Jesus would ask such a question focussed on the times when life and circumstances leave us doubting God's goodness or faithfulness. But my thoughts were different. It occurred to me that each time we find ourselves in a difficult situation and try to deal with it without God we are, in a sense, doubting whether Jesus is the One: the One who is all the answer to our problems we truly need.
As a woman, I'm thinking of women who think a man in their life is the answer to their problems, or closer to home, looking for rest and comfort in distractions like entertainment and food instead of finding our rest and comfort in Him. In a sense, we're asking, "Are you the One?" when we turn for the answer to our problems to anything or anyone but Christ.
The discussion as to why one who knew Jesus would ask such a question focussed on the times when life and circumstances leave us doubting God's goodness or faithfulness. But my thoughts were different. It occurred to me that each time we find ourselves in a difficult situation and try to deal with it without God we are, in a sense, doubting whether Jesus is the One: the One who is all the answer to our problems we truly need.
As a woman, I'm thinking of women who think a man in their life is the answer to their problems, or closer to home, looking for rest and comfort in distractions like entertainment and food instead of finding our rest and comfort in Him. In a sense, we're asking, "Are you the One?" when we turn for the answer to our problems to anything or anyone but Christ.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Church growth
Our church is facing the blessing of being a bit crowded in our facility. This has been the case more or less in the 3.5 years since we moved here. I like the way it's been handled.
First, when we were still quite new here, a couple of church planters in the area were invited to come to our services and make appeals for people to come help plant. I was impressed at the willingness of our pastors to encourage the congregation to leave and help get new churches established.
I'm not sure how many left then, though I know of some who did. But a year or two later, the blessing (being overcrowded) was back. This time, they introduced the idea of 'venues.' That is, of holding the church service in more than one location. Another large room in the church was opened up. In it, coffee and pastries are served, a live worship band plays (more upbeat than in the sanctuary) and the sermon is piped in from the sanctuary on two large screens in the room. It was also very successful. In fact, after six months, they started doing it during two of our morning services, 10: a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (The 8:45 a.m. service, which we attend, is *not* overcrowded!)
Now, they're wanting to expand the concept of the venues, and using internet and video-streaming technology, enable venues at further distances, so we can get bigger and get smaller at the same time! For lots of reasons, I kind of like the whole idea.
More later, I hope.
First, when we were still quite new here, a couple of church planters in the area were invited to come to our services and make appeals for people to come help plant. I was impressed at the willingness of our pastors to encourage the congregation to leave and help get new churches established.
I'm not sure how many left then, though I know of some who did. But a year or two later, the blessing (being overcrowded) was back. This time, they introduced the idea of 'venues.' That is, of holding the church service in more than one location. Another large room in the church was opened up. In it, coffee and pastries are served, a live worship band plays (more upbeat than in the sanctuary) and the sermon is piped in from the sanctuary on two large screens in the room. It was also very successful. In fact, after six months, they started doing it during two of our morning services, 10: a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (The 8:45 a.m. service, which we attend, is *not* overcrowded!)
Now, they're wanting to expand the concept of the venues, and using internet and video-streaming technology, enable venues at further distances, so we can get bigger and get smaller at the same time! For lots of reasons, I kind of like the whole idea.
More later, I hope.
Monday, February 12, 2007
On being blind
An epiphany yesterday! I read about a newly diagnosable 'disease' the medical community has come up with: face blindness. (It has a long name that begins with a 'p' but I'm better at the layman's terminology.
It's not that I never remember faces -- there are actually quite a number of people whom I recognize by sight, but it seems I require excessive exposure to someone before I can do so. And if I don't see someone in a while, I can 'lose' who they are. Example: We spent two years meeting once or twice a month with a group of about 3-4 other couples. Several months after our last meeting, we ran into one of the men in a store. I stood with my husband and talked to him for 10 minutes. (Fortunately, my husband did most of the talking!)
Just as we wound up the conversation, he said something which made me realize that I'd mistaken him for a totally different acquaintance, with somewhat of a similar hairstyle. The man I thought he was is the husband of a good friend... We've had them over for dinner, I've been in their house, we've done a number of social activities in a group with them... If it was only once, I might not think anything of it, but this sort of thing happens often to me. I was beginning to think I had some sort of mental disability. I guess I do, but now it has a name, prosopagnosia. (I went and looked it up.)
Another impact it makes: When I'm in a restaurant, and I want to summon our server for something, I find it very difficult, because I never know which of the waiter/waitresses running around is ours.
But, it's really encouraging to know I'm not the only one. The newspaper I read about it in says that 1 in 50 people have it.
It's not that I never remember faces -- there are actually quite a number of people whom I recognize by sight, but it seems I require excessive exposure to someone before I can do so. And if I don't see someone in a while, I can 'lose' who they are. Example: We spent two years meeting once or twice a month with a group of about 3-4 other couples. Several months after our last meeting, we ran into one of the men in a store. I stood with my husband and talked to him for 10 minutes. (Fortunately, my husband did most of the talking!)
Just as we wound up the conversation, he said something which made me realize that I'd mistaken him for a totally different acquaintance, with somewhat of a similar hairstyle. The man I thought he was is the husband of a good friend... We've had them over for dinner, I've been in their house, we've done a number of social activities in a group with them... If it was only once, I might not think anything of it, but this sort of thing happens often to me. I was beginning to think I had some sort of mental disability. I guess I do, but now it has a name, prosopagnosia. (I went and looked it up.)
Another impact it makes: When I'm in a restaurant, and I want to summon our server for something, I find it very difficult, because I never know which of the waiter/waitresses running around is ours.
But, it's really encouraging to know I'm not the only one. The newspaper I read about it in says that 1 in 50 people have it.
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