I am thinking of quitting the meat packing plant

I have worked at a meat packing plant all my life. Lately I was promoted to the sausage department. I used to love sausage, but after a few years in that department I have negative associations with the plant. The problem is now that I know the ingredients and process that goes into producing sausage all meat is somehow different.

My problem with the ingredients lies not in the quality of the meat, but in the other stuff that is added so it will be edible after the processing. The man made stuff that goes into sausage is pretty gross. Preservatives, flavors, and dyes are not what I want when I eat meat. The process of grinding, mixing, and stuffing the sausages take what is a really decent cut of meat and really screw it up in order to achieve the look and texture we desire.

I am thinking of becoming a vegetarian. The idea of planting a seed, waiting for it to grow, harvesting, and finally enjoying is very appealing. I must be willing to give up the control I had with sausage, but I trust the end product will be both healthier and better tasting.

You probably guessed I am not really talking about food, but it describes how I feel about what we have done to Jesus.

Lord please have mercy on us.

Thursday, 15 May 2008

I am reading Let Go of the Ring by Ralph Moore and it is really speaking to my need (desire) for control.  He states “God will only call you to do things that are bigger than you are…” and goes on to explain how the ability to visualize the details of an activity to it’s completion probably means that it was conceived of man not God.  This makes sense as we have the mind of men and do not think as God thinks.  I forget the book, but I remember reading that in the Bible.  He also says he had givin his life to the Lord years ago, but not the details.

Lord, I love you.  Please take the details of my life that I may follow you completely.  I beg you to force me to “do the next thing” that Your Kingdom may come and Your will be done.  All honor and glory to you, Abba Father, for ever and ever. Amen

Lord  

Sunday, 20 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 104 again and “Organic Church”.

God is huge.  If I am following Him there is nothing to fear.  This must mean the fear does not come from His Spirit.  God just looks at the earth and it shakes.  May I act like I serve such a God.

Thursday, 17 April 2008

Please see these links and then consider below.

http://www.cornerstonesimi.com/media_player.php?f=2008%2D04%2D06%5FFrancis%5FChan%5FThe%5FChurch%2Emov

 http://www.cornerstonesimi.com/special/building_project/why_have_church_outside.html

 

 

This church gets it.  I do hold out hope for older mainline congregations.  If we look at the problem and solution in the 1700s.  The Anglican church looked very much like we look today and look what the early Methodist societies did for those people as a platform for the Holy Spirit.  I do not see any reason the resurrection of a model similar to the societies would not work today.  We have the tools; all we need is the courage.  Consider the following:

 

1.        If one family (seed) would be willing to sacrifice a little comfort and buy a duplex instead of a single family home

2.       They let another family (graph) live in the other unit rent free while watching over them in love for two years

3.       At the two year point family seed moves on to another duplex while graph starts paying the rent

4.       The empty unit in each duplex is now filled with a family who will be watched  over in love and the cycle continues.

5.       At the ten year point the seed will have produced 32 graphs, been the church to 32×4=128 people

6.       If the church would kick in at the beginning where the start could be a quad-plex then the  128 jumps to almost 500 lives

7.       The small sacrifice (talent) sacrifice made by only one family has been increased one hundred fold, that is the stuff of biblical fairy tales

This is were I get chills.  The heart of each of the 500 people has been shaped by the example of love; being fed when they were hungry, clothed when they were naked, and housed when they were homeless.  They then have had the experience of doing the same for others.  To these 500 Christians this behavior this behavior is not radical, but normal and expected as they have known no other.

Lord give us faith and courage.  I love you.

 

Monday, 14 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 104.

My heart has been feeling the divide between those who have money and those who do not.  As a church we are clearly called to be the ones who feed the world with both the eternal meal of Christ and the temporal meal of bread.  We are not.  I am not.  I have a good friend who is the sole income in his family with four children and might spend a year in jail.  He did not murder, steal, or even sell crack to orphans.  He ran a stop sign, could not pay the fine, lost his license, was arrested twice for driving on a suspended license, and finally violated his parole by not making weekly payments to the court.  All of this would not have been a problem if he had a little money in the first place.  The value of my extra television sets, the food we throw away in a year, or even the money I spend on shakes would have make all the difference in the life of his family.

Money is not the real issue.  The real problem is that I did not know his need because I did not KNOW him.  I am surrounded by people every day with needs.  I (we) are called to be the Body of Christ to these people, but I do not know them.  I do not want Christ to say He does not know me.

Abba father please help us to get it right and forgive us for all the times we have gotten it wrong.

Wednesday, 09 April 2008

I read Psalm 104 again and some of the letter to the Ephesians.

Chapter 4, Unity of the Body, tells us in 13 “-we must grow until we become like Christ and have all his perfection”.  The context for this is very important, “This work must continue until we are all joined together in the faith and in the same knowledge of the son of God.”  This leaves little doubt that perfection is a communal command.  I can not and should not pursue perfection outside of community with other believers.  12″He [Christ] gave those gifts to make the body of Christ stronger”  Lord may your will be done.

Tuesday, 08 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 104 aloud.

Our small group has agreed to read 104 each day while seeking God’s direction.  I am excited and I ask for your prayers.

God is HUGE

Monday, 07 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 103 aloud.

I have been feeling an urging toward making disciples.  It the same time I fear, no I doubt my discernment between God’s plans and my own.  I am scared. I am not brave and courageous.

Abba Father, Please let me hear your will.  Forgive me for doubt.  Take all my mind and strength that all I do must be from you and of you.  I love you Lord.  I want your kingdom to come.  I praise your name.  Glory to the most wonderful, coolest, most powerful, excelentest, all knowing, all loving daddy.

Lord, Please do your will with these bless Jay, Jim, Calvin, and Kevin today.

Thursday, 03 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 101 aloud.

The idea of living an innocent life is hard to grapple with in this material world.  Let me try as God’s grace allows.  Let me love not the world, but the church, Your bride.