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A Celebration of Our Diversity and Mission
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It was a night of celebration, another fun night at church. I love watching people from all different backgrounds enjoying one another's company, eating foods from different lands, celebrating the diversity of our church and focusing on our mission of sharing the love of Jesus beyond our four walls. |
| In his letter to the Galatian church Paul, the apostle, said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." He was picking up on the words of Jesus. When he said "neither Jew nor Greek," he came out against racial and ethnic prejudice. When he said "neither slave nor free," he came out against class prejudice. When he said "neither male nor female," he came out against gender prejudice. |
Beside the African-Americans, Euro-Americans, and Latino-Americans in our church, in blended and non-blended families, I got to wondering how many countries we have represented among our regular attenders. My criteria was this: the person had to have been born in the country and maintained use of the language of his/her birthplace. Here is what I have come up with so far: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cuba, Eritrea, France, Ghana, Malaysia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Sweden, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Trinidad, and Zimbabwe.
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Commonplace
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== Stay Focused ==
Did you ever say, "I can't be everywhere at once," and yet you still tried? This is the closest I ever came. Here I am firmly seated in the Netherlands at Drielandenpunt (the point where three countries come together) with a foot in Germany and a foot in Belgium. And I'm still smiling. See, I can be everywhere at once. :-) Almost.
Peter Drucker is quoted in the new book, The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham, by Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley as saying, "Throughout history, it was the super achievers - and only the super achievers - who knew when to say 'No.' They always knew what to reach for. They knew where to place themselves."
Do you really know what you're supposed to be doing? Yes? Then do it will all your might, and stay focused. Spread yourself too thin, and you won't be smiling.
:: Coffee is My Co-Pilot ::
The other day my wife and I were driving home on I-96, and we saw a billboard from a well-known coffee shop. It said, "Coffee is my Co-pilot." This reminded us of the slogan, "God is my co-pilot." I remembered the painting I saw as a child of the young man at the helm of a ship steering his way through a storm. Standing behind him, with his hands also on the wheel, was Jesus.
I had never questioned it before, but we got to thinking. (Isn't it great when couples think together?) Does co-pilot mean assistant pilot or a pilot on equal par? Would we prefer Jesus as co-pilot or pilot? We don't want just as an assistant when we botch things up. We are certainly not equal with Him. We prefer that He be in charge, steering the ship of our lives. Whether "God is my co-pilot" is a correct phrase or not, I still like the painting I saw as a kid. We find it reassuring to know He's on board our ship. Whether or not our hands are allowed on the wheel is not as important as knowing that He's in charge of the ship. Anyway, one couple's thoughts on I-96.
And oh, we determined that coffee is definitely not our co-pilot.
So, who's running your ship?
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== The Center of Devotion ==
Will my soul ever cease to praise?
My heart its banner ever raise?
God, the center of devotion
Inhabiting every single motion
Of faith-filled hearts aglow
Yearning always just to know
The gaze of His great love.
©Curt Dalaba
April 1, 2005
:: Bare Feet or Blackberries? ::
Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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== Uh, Excuse Me! ==
Sometimes things move slowly. Sometimes they come to a grinding halt. So, how do I make progress with a buffalo in the way? I suppose I could pass the beast. Hmm, on the left that would mean a head-on collision. On the right, a soft shoulder followed by a respite in the ditch. Maybe I should shoot the beast. Uh, no, very illegal. Plus, the thing is cute in an ugly sort of way. I think I'll just stay on track and wait this one out.
I don't know what buffalo is impeding your progress today. Buffalos take on all shapes and sizes. Don't do anything drastic. Just stay on track. They do move eventually. You'll get moving again.
:: When Things Get You Down ::
So Moses told the people what the Lord had said, but they wouldn't listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the increasing burden of their slavery. Exodus 6:9 (NLT)
What kept them from listening? Not a willful disobedience this time. I wonder how often the Lord is trying to say something to us, but we refuse to listen. Refusing, not out of some stubbornness of heart, but just because the pressures of our lives weigh us down. Their burden would get any of us down, but it's not worth it, if we shut out the Lord.
Discouragement can be turned into refusal. Maybe God has a good word for you today, if you'll get your mind off the things that legitimately distract you and get your focus back on Him and listen to Him.
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For more posts and links drop by and visit me at Commonplace.
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