I'm so thankful, this morning, for...
...just BEING here.
What i mean is, for years now we've been in a transition from an approach to ministry that originates in an effort to DO for the Lord to an approach to LIFE that comes from Being In the Lord.
From "Ministry" to "Life"
From efforts directed by/originated in my perceptions, desires, thoughts... to those the Spirit leads me into...
The latter may still be strengthened by desires, thoughts, perceptions of my human mechanism, that is, my shell/container/sarx/flesh, but their origin is not mine... not my planning, alliances... just waited for in a vacuum of hope...
...and BEING there is so powerful. My days are filled, i mean FILLED, with powerful, transforming opportunities to engage God as he is working in people around me. Sometimes this looks like counseling, sometimes like prayer together, sometimes in deliverance ministry, sometimes in a healing (yesterday, i prayed for a two-year-old's allergic rash and it immediately went down), sometimes in wisdom, sometimes in folly, sometimes in jail, sometimes in singing, sometimes with basketball, sometimes in...
Who knows what God will do with us when we discipline ourselves out of the busy run of this world, set ourselves apart to wait on Him, and learn the contentment of Him being absolutely enough for right now... being mindful of no other day/moment than today...
i see that he is working powerfully through those here who are so doing. I see Zach, JP, Smitty... Chris, Christine, Danielmatt... all of us being used to "flavor" our neighborhood.
Once again, I'm reminded of the need to plug your ears to all the things I'm not saying here. I can already hear the questions coming, like, "what then, are you saying we're not supposed to DO anything?" and, "what if nothing happens? How long do we wait?". There are those who would scoff and say it's idealistic stuff, too. But ideals are lost on the cynicism of false adulthood. Jesus called us to childlikeness. that's the story and I'm stickin' to it.
So REPENT! Joyfully turn to a new life! Joyfully clear your busy christian calendars and get to know the old lady next door better. In listening to her, you'll find Jesus. He has been waiting for your visit...
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Sometimes, not doing anything is doing a whole lot....
ReplyDeleteHangin' with the "boyz in da hood" is about the only thing you can do to start. They may be ignorant of soooo many things, but they are not stupid. They see what's different there, at the Chase and Chambers houses.
How loing did Augstine have to pray for chastity before it was granted to him? While it's only a loose paralell, it might help. But, waiting is NOT the same as "not doing anyting." In fact, I (for one) think you are doing a @*%# lot.
-jjs