Sunday and its choices beckon

And, as usual, there's loads to be done and yet, regardless, it never gets to be anything but exciting.

I wonder how many of us will be getting stuck in to all the work today with just a little of the feelings of Lazarus' sister, Martha, who asked Jesus to tell Mary, the other sister, to get stuck in a bit.

Now Jesus answers Martha by telling her that there are choices to be made and whilst she has chosen to do the stuff, Mary has chosen to sit in Jesus' presence and learn. 'She has chosen what is better and it won't be taken away,' He says and this is a thought for some of those who choose to be just that little too busy working for Jesus rather that living (and working) with Him.

In my daily dealings with people I get to meet many who are so taken up with the business (and busyness) of Church that they don't get to hear sermons, or worship God through Jesus, the Christ. I meet so many who choose to be the person who makes everything happen and they, like Martha, are at times found moaning about the others doing nothing.

We make our choices and whilst we sometimes carry our loads without complaining, the reality is that we should be carrying just enough - that which is our calling, rather than trying to do it all on our own or in our own strength.

Those who seek to sit at Jesus' feet should do so remembering that what we learn there is empty unless it's put into practice and part of that is seen by us sharing the loads of others.

So today, sit in Jesus' presence as much as you can - learn from Him, emulate Him - for tomorrow, when the Resurrection has been celebrated, we are called to take up our cross, denying ourselves, and share the load with others.

Church is a team sport - isn't it?

I'm not impatient - I waited ages!

The number of people who tell me that being Christian isn't about doing stuff but about being. Now this really challenges me because recently I met someone who turned up for a service at a local church but it wasn't on because someone had got the roats wrong. Not this really challenged me and so I've embarked upon a little navel gazing which goes like this:

First select any one area of activity in the church and when it looks like whatever it is might not happen because someone hasn't turned up or has forgotten to do something. Once under way (or rather not) smile and standing back, watch what happens; for usually a few distinct groups will appear:

Absenting Folk - Who somehow manage to vanish before you've even looked up Just like the man upon the stairs - they're never there!

Tutting Folk - Who, as the name suggests, 'tut' that someone has failed to do whatever it was they were supposed to do. You'll never find them being tutted at for failing to do something they were supposed to do - often because they don't do anything!

Consuming Folk - Who come and seeing there's nothing for them to come to, leave (often mumbling about what a poor show it is that it's not happening, after all, they've been coming for years and it's 'always' happened)!

Flapping Folk - Who panic because something that apparently no one wants to do isn't happening.

If the area under scrutiny is something that's happened for years, you'll get to meet:

Traditional Folk - Who will tell you that ever since Jesus as walked the earth, St. Bumbles weekly old folk's scone and knackwurst tea dance has happened! Even through the wars!

To not happen is unthinkable - 'someone must should do it," they cry.

But who?

This is the question
for if all we are to do is to 'Be' with God
rather than 'do' with and for Him

- and there are too many who do too much and rest in Christ too little

- but if perhaps some of those who are excelling in the 'Be' areas of the Christian life
might just come and add their weight to the plough

then the furrows would be straighter
and longer
and the harvest would be bigger
and then we'd have more to celebrate
and so we could sit back
and rest in God
as more people came into the Kingdom
and,
having done nothing but love God for a while,
got up and added their weight to the plough
so that in the end there would be so many of us doing stuff
that we all be doing nothing!

And then we could look at what Jesus paid
and see that from the paucity of our little faith
we have achieved much in the world for,
through,
by
and with Him
who is the Saviour of the world!

Anyone willing to join me sow the seeds for the next harvest and reap the harvest that demands our attention today?

And the title? When I asked the person who was complaining that the service didn't happen those were the words they used:

'I'm not impatient - I waited ages... but no one came or did anything!

So I left'

Book-Aid: Our first book collection

It's been some time since we started being a collector for:

Book-Aid.org

So I thought I'd let you see how many books we have collected and encourage you to donate at the same time!  So here we go:

Twelve boxes of Christian books and Bibles - waiting for collection and a very big 'Thank You' to all who have contributed to the contents of them.

Mission - getting them in isn't enough!

This has been one of those weeks that just has lasted for ever and yet gone by in a flash; one of those where you have done much and still managed to leave undone the things that you wanted to do! (an experience I'm sure we all share from time to time).

There have been so many highlights ranging from ALPHA course through to doing school assemblies through to engagement with people at the other end of the age range; mingling, and celebrating, with fellow believers and giving thanks for them to wondering whether, despite their labels, they are even saved!

I cannot believe that anyone who is in the Christian family can fail to be 'missional'; that ability and desire to see others come into knowledge of Jesus, the Christ, and through that knowledge to come into relationship with the Father through Him - and yet I do. For truly the, 'I'm not an evangelistic,' cries of some to the 'maintenance and parochially-minded' lack of real endeavour others I bump into almost cause my fingers to crack and my chest to tighten. 'How can we not be 'mission-minded'?

How can we ignore the calls of Jesus as written in Matthew 28:

'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.'

How can we fail to see that people coming into the building is great, but it's not salvation, for salvation is this:

‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 
‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? 
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’

I mentioned this passage (Romans 10) to someone last week as I tried to explain that increasing the church's 'footfall' (the number of feet on the ground: visitors) is great but 'getting them in' is only part of the job, we need to engage with the people who come in and be there for them when they come with needs.

How can they believe unless they hear and how can they hear unless we tell them?

And of course, we're not all sent, are we? We're not all called to look like Jesus, to love those caught in error, to bind up the brokenhearted, comfort those who mourn, heal the afflicted and all that stuff are we?

Oh no, it appears that we are - so what are we going to do?