So, Jesus is asking: Are you going to be satisfied with your own religiosity and spiritual growth or will you be serious about helping others discover and deepen their relationship with God?
What a week! If this is typical of 2022, we are in for a rough ride. We need a word of encouragement but instead, I am studying Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Maybe I need to change my topic? Then as the week progressed, I asked questions:
One of my New Year’s Resolutions every year is to get organized. I will buy a book on organization, one or two “get organized” check list pads, maybe a computer program or computer all in the hopes of organizing my life. Is the expense worth it? Not usually. Sigh!
On Christmas Eve there was a knock at the door. I nervously opened it a crack and saw four big rough looking men but each of them was carrying a huge box filled with food and gifts. My oldest son looked up at the biggest man who was sporting a beard and asked: “Are you Santa?”
Christmas presents were meant to be symbolic of God’s gift of the Christ child. What Jesus has given to us; we pass on to others as our way of saying: “I love you in the name of Christ!” The challenge is to broaden our horizons and creatively give to those in need.
How did we get everything so mixed-up? How can we change? How can we recapture the Christ in Christmas? Our readers responded with lively and creative ways to remember the real reason for the season:
Christmas has become a glaring reminder of who receives generously and who gets little or nothing! Poorer families see other children loaded with more toys than they can ever use so the hidden message? “Christmas is for others, not them!”
I’m not sure I can live in a world where even Monopoly changes. I am getting old. Change is hard. But change is part of life, even a part of our church life. One reason there is change is because our children change as they grow older. So, this is all their fault.
If we want to be a healthy church, we must heed the warnings of the Bible. Don’t stop doing the good things that brought you to this point. Here are ten action words, I believe describe a healthy church.
Could one or more of these four emails come close to describing your situation? One thing, I’ve learned over the past 30+ years of ministry is that life is full of mistakes, sorrows, difficulties, obstacles and disappointments. The last two years during the pandemic added additional stress, tragedy and chaos.
I soon felt at home in my new church. All because two people who should have been angry, reached out the hand of friendship and offered the forgiving love of Jesus Christ. Looking back, I realize this was a key moment in my life and will always be grateful for their encouragement.