For a long time I've felt, and taught, that churches, as well as individual christians, have to work harder at connecting with people in the community if we are to fulfil the Great Commission.
The days of "If we build it they will come" are long over. We no longer live in the Christendom era when living in Western culture made you a christian of sorts. This is something that the church really finds it hard to come to terms with.
Today we had a lady ring up to ask if we sell printers. The conversation moved along from printers to USB ports to printing low-fat recipes to finding help for her daughter who is being emotionally abused by her (the daughter's) husband. Margaret was able to point her to some local people who would be able to connect her to resources for the daughter who lives in Sydney. She was able to tell her that we would pray for her daughter.
I don't think the lady really wanted to talk technology!
Would she have rung a church for help- I think not. Somehow her need for a printer provided a bridge for her to walk over to the deeper need.
It is moments like this which explain why we do the crazy thing we do-- like bringing home two BIG bags of cuddly toys from Vinnies who would otherwise throw them out- including a Rock'n'Roll Elmo and a Dancing Elmo!
I found that God provides me with opportunities and if I open the door and persue it, He also (always) provides a way for me to use it for Him. If I ignore the opportunity, I always regret it because He still provides a way for me to use it, but I'm not able to. Talk about feeling shame!So keep bringing home your bagfulls of stuff. God is the wonderful engineer who builds the bridges!! But then you already know that! :)
ReplyDelete:lol: Yes, you could be in for quite a fright!
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Lois.What was particularly weird about the toys was that one bag was entirely fluffy rabbits of different sizes, colours and breeds. I know we have problems here with rabbit plagues, but this is ridiculous!Margaret has put them into a closed in trailer that we use for storage. I'm scared that when we go to pull them out to take them to another town there will be ten times as many!
ReplyDeleteAlol, if for some reason we don't have any band one Sunday, we could use the Elmo's as a temporary band...might take some reprogramming though :PI Don't know what humanity has come to when a man could go all the way to marrying a Woman and then abusing her in ANY way, it make me shudder..really. But i do not live that world, therefore know little of what goes through that kind of persons mind. Another thought on sad humans, (maybe im the sad one here for even reaching the thought) while quickly cooking myself some eggs on toast for lunch today i wondered if humans laid eggs instead of giving birth, would we be sick enough to eat our own unfertile eggs like we do chickens...theres no chance of our species all of a sudden changing to do that, so an answer seem pointless. but it did make me wonder about eating other things eggs.. but left the thought on the shelf for a rainy day.Speaking of making a difference in peoples lives, i seem to have found a little ministry in gaming of all things. after all my efforts to give it up and spend the time doing something else, the few hours i play here and there get spent helping out other players. with coding, game play help, and just being mates, got a nice group or (clan) going, and they quickly have gone from swearing and abbusing each other to a rather nice bunch of people, being rather accepting of one an another and its spreading, the clan is growing and so is the atmosphere. we are quickly becoming a very well known clan, and not because we are pro, but because were so nice :Pwho am i to understand Gods works...but what a way to make a difference in a bunch of teens lives. praise be to God :D
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ReplyDeleteJames, you're a hero mate :)We already do the tihng you menationed aobut eggs- although not actually eating them... it's called abortion. :(
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