Sunday
Not too many people at our Lausanne worship time today. In fact, it was one of those Sundays where more were gone than were actually present.
Now all this can a preacher down. I live for Sunday, but sometimes get the (wrong) impression that members save sickness for the Lord’s day… Or that they pull ligaments on Saturday to sleep in on Sunday… Or that they take that business trip to skip an offering. (I’m not one of the “the glass is half-full” guys.)
To these accusing (satanic) thoughts God offers a simple remedy: Consider brothers and sisters as superior to yourself. In French it’s “esteem others as superior to yourselves”. Someone writes: Put yourself aside. Push others ahead.
My motives are soooo GOOD. 90% of my mistakes are made for the right reasons. My ideas are often on target.
Yet my brothers have BETTER motives. 95% of my sisters’ goof-ups are for the right reasons. Their ideas hit the bull’s eye without fail.
So today God is calling me to cut my spiritual family some slack. A loving preacher will challenge them. A godly pastor will call show them Jesus.
And a “half-empty” guy will pray… for next Sunday.
June 13th, 2005 at 8:24 pm
Welcome to the blog community. I have some reading to do in order to catch up.
I understand and appreciate your perspective. We have the same experiences here. It’s difficult, especially when you’ve worked hard and believe to have prepared a quality message.
I mean come on, be gone the Sunday my message is lousy! To which they reply, “I thought that was this Sunday!”
June 13th, 2005 at 9:06 pm
Brady:
Just got off the phone with Randy and he told me of your blog site. Thought I’d not only welcome you (and I look foward to reading what you have to say) but tell you how much your comments touched a spot in my heart! I, too, have to be called back to the grace of God and gentleness that does not come to me by nature.
I’m preaching my heart out on what it means to be a sanctuary community and before I can complete the sermon (and often before I even get up to start) people are walking out. My best guess is that the cafe community means more than the church community. But we work for an audience of One and we know that in time God gives us just enough grace and just enough encouragement to come back the next Sunday and try it again.
June 14th, 2005 at 5:11 am
Brady…
So good to have you share your thoughts through the blog community! I will look forward to staying in better touch because of it.