Since last night at the Thread was meant to show appreciation to Tim and Julie for all their hard work and general amazingness I figured I would contribute something here.
(Oh, and Hello again after a long sabbatical called college finals and holidays.)
While I really wanted to grab that microphone last night and say something I was certain that my voice and eyes would not have allowed me to get past “Hello my name is Crystal and I am thankful for…” *tears*
So without further delay.
I am unbelievably blessed by Tim and Julie and the sacrifices that they made in order to shape and continue The Thread. If it were not for the Thread I don’t know that I would be friends with the people I am. And believe me, I’ve made some tremendous and life long friends through the Thread.
I moved to Allentown about a year and a half ago and I did not know a single person. Talk about jumping without a net, thankfully though the first Sunday I was in town I somehow found the Thread. I actually believe it was a Google search of “Sunday night church services in the Lehigh Valley” that pointed me there. I speak from experience when I say that going to church, especially a large church were you know no one is intimidating but the warmth and welcome I felt at the Thread was unmatched. Particularly because the second time I attended the Thread I was invited to a Labor Day dinner by someone I had only meet the previous week and whom I could barely remember their name. It was at that dinner that I started to make the friends that I still have today and these friendships I cherish. I am thankful that Tim and Julie have taken the time to make a service that fosters authentic relationships with people.
You would think that I got right in with the Thread and knew Tim and Julie from the start but that is not true. In all actuality I had heard of Tim and Julie but had never been introduced to them. Then some time passed and that line where you’ve seen someone at church a million times but still don’t know their name got crossed. I knew of Julie but I didn’t know her. Then one day I remember her walking up to a conversation I was having with someone and somehow a rather funny conversation happened. We both realized that we had been hearing a lot about each other but had never been introduced. We introduced ourselves, and one of us said “okay, well I think we should be friends now” and then I remember a hug because well if you know Julie you know that she’s a hugger. (And her hugs are wonderful!) I am thankful that Julie not only took the time make a home for the community that we now are but I am also indescribably thankful that she has taken the time to get to know me personally. She has shared in my joys, and my struggles, and has prayed with me multiple times and for these things I am eternally grateful. I know I can speak for all of her “adopted” daughters when I say her nurturing and love has touched each of us and has changed us irrevocably for the better.
No amount of words can adequately express how grateful I am, or how appreciative the Thread community is for Tim and Julie. There are no words to describe the spiritual changes that have happened in people while attending the Thread, and there are is no way to measure the spiritual growth that will continue on now without Tim and Julie but we can be thankful that because of their hard work, perseverance and dedication to God’s calling that the good work which God has started in the Thread will continue.
There is no better way to end then with this for Tim and Julie. “His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:23
I’m excited to see what God has in store for you!
Oh and Julie! You + Me = Dinner tonight.
I love you both!
-Crystal Williams
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, September 28, 2009
This isn't a surprise....
I had resolved to somehow slyly ignore last nights sermon at the thread. (See Matthew 5:21-26, and Romans 12:18) I figured I’m a pretty clever person, I can somehow justify not making things right with ________. I thought I’ll just get really busy and let it slip from my immediate memory into the back recesses of my mind. I thought eventually this gripping feeling, this gripping thought will fade and it won’t “bother” me anymore.
Well it just so ends up and this isn’t a surprise but God is bigger then my cleverness. I felt such an unrest in my heart at the thought of not making it right with this person that I had too. That’s a weird feeling. Feeling that unless you do something you won’t feel right inside but then at the same time feeling that you have nothing in your own power that would compel you to do so. Sometimes I find myself in these types of situations and I pray “God, I don’t want this. My flesh doesn’t want this. The sinner in me wants to keep wallowing in self-pity and bitterness….but I know you want it and so I want it.”
Even after praying that I felt so upset at the thought of calling ________ and asking for forgiveness for the bitterness and ill-will that I harbored toward this person that I started getting sick to my stomach just at the mere thought. (Which I reasoned that I could use as an excuse to not call because well, you just don’t want to be on the phone asking for forgiveness from someone and end up throwing up. Right? But again, God’s bigger then my cleverness and excuses. )
So in the middle of my wrestling match with what I knew I needed to do and what I wanted to do I called my friend Kristin who reminded me that sometimes following Jesus isn‘t easy. If it were then everyone would do it. She then prayed for me and as soon as I hung up the phone I promptly picked it back up and started dialing __________.
I won’t lie and say this was easy. It was not. I was scared making that call. Because the person I was calling had hurt me repeatedly in the past and was no longer in my life at all. It was as if I was reaching my hand out with my apology in it and I was fairly certain it was going to be cut off. From what I knew of this person, this person in the past would have cut my hand off and then turned and slapped me in the face with it.
And this also should be no surprise but God is good.
Because I made the call. I left the message and I meant it. I don’t know where that came from but somewhere God reached in and gave me that want, gave me that desire to really love and care for this person whom prior to this I had not loved and cared for in a long time. If it stopped there that would be enough. I fulfilled Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
It doesn’t stop there, this person turned and responded and asked for my forgiveness also. I don’t know how this will play out now but I know that I felt healing and peace about a situation that I hadn’t for a long time.
But I’m still left wondering- what if I had left that feeling unattended? What if I had not acted on Romans 12:18? What state would that leave me in? What state would that leave my heart in? Where do we get when we actively ignore the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives? I worry that when we ignore that movement we are turning to walk down a road we should not walk on.
So I want to encourage you if you felt that feeling, if you had that thought of “I have to make this right…” please don’t ignore it. I can’t say that your story will turn out like mine. I can’t say that it’ll be easy but I can say that God will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).
And that’s enough.
Well it just so ends up and this isn’t a surprise but God is bigger then my cleverness. I felt such an unrest in my heart at the thought of not making it right with this person that I had too. That’s a weird feeling. Feeling that unless you do something you won’t feel right inside but then at the same time feeling that you have nothing in your own power that would compel you to do so. Sometimes I find myself in these types of situations and I pray “God, I don’t want this. My flesh doesn’t want this. The sinner in me wants to keep wallowing in self-pity and bitterness….but I know you want it and so I want it.”
Even after praying that I felt so upset at the thought of calling ________ and asking for forgiveness for the bitterness and ill-will that I harbored toward this person that I started getting sick to my stomach just at the mere thought. (Which I reasoned that I could use as an excuse to not call because well, you just don’t want to be on the phone asking for forgiveness from someone and end up throwing up. Right? But again, God’s bigger then my cleverness and excuses. )
So in the middle of my wrestling match with what I knew I needed to do and what I wanted to do I called my friend Kristin who reminded me that sometimes following Jesus isn‘t easy. If it were then everyone would do it. She then prayed for me and as soon as I hung up the phone I promptly picked it back up and started dialing __________.
I won’t lie and say this was easy. It was not. I was scared making that call. Because the person I was calling had hurt me repeatedly in the past and was no longer in my life at all. It was as if I was reaching my hand out with my apology in it and I was fairly certain it was going to be cut off. From what I knew of this person, this person in the past would have cut my hand off and then turned and slapped me in the face with it.
And this also should be no surprise but God is good.
Because I made the call. I left the message and I meant it. I don’t know where that came from but somewhere God reached in and gave me that want, gave me that desire to really love and care for this person whom prior to this I had not loved and cared for in a long time. If it stopped there that would be enough. I fulfilled Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
It doesn’t stop there, this person turned and responded and asked for my forgiveness also. I don’t know how this will play out now but I know that I felt healing and peace about a situation that I hadn’t for a long time.
But I’m still left wondering- what if I had left that feeling unattended? What if I had not acted on Romans 12:18? What state would that leave me in? What state would that leave my heart in? Where do we get when we actively ignore the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives? I worry that when we ignore that movement we are turning to walk down a road we should not walk on.
So I want to encourage you if you felt that feeling, if you had that thought of “I have to make this right…” please don’t ignore it. I can’t say that your story will turn out like mine. I can’t say that it’ll be easy but I can say that God will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).
And that’s enough.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Hope
Well hello!
I’ve been back in my home state of Michigan for the last two weeks and it has been grand. Family, friends and fireworks, it really couldn’t get better. One of the things I like best about coming home is the drive to get here. Ten glorious hours in the car with just me, my music, and my thoughts.
The whole drive home my mind was wrapped around hope and my absolute need for it. If I think back to what I would consider the “worst” parts of my life so far, they all have one underlying theme- hopelessness.
There is a quote I often remember that says “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope”.
I think that this hopelessness is what makes me cringe with regards to “bullhorn” evangelism. Now before I proceed please understand I’m not saying that we shouldn’t call people out with regards to sin. We absolutely should. I’m not saying we should promote a gospel that is all sunshine, gum drops, rainbows and unicorns because there is a real side to God that is justice and there is a real place called hell and people will go there. What I’m questioning is the way in which we inform people about sin in their lives.
My impressions of “bullhorn/ fire and brimstone” evangelism is that it is loud. I get this impression that it’s in your face. So effectively what I think happens when we stand on street corners yelling into people’s ears about sin and hell is that we deafen them. We shout so loudly about brimstone that they can’t hear the actual good news. We tell them their sinners (which is true of everyone) and without Jesus they’re going to hell (which is also true) and then that’s where they stop listening, that’s where they can’t hear any more because we’ve deafened them. I wonder when we do this if we are leaving people without hope and how that will affect a person.
So here is my main point- the measure in which we are being severe with people (e.g. calling them out on their sin) should be met with equal measures of grace, love, and hope. We should not be spending fifty minutes yelling at people about sin and only spend two minutes telling them about grace, love, and hope.
I’m talking specifically about when we are talking to people who don’t either know the gospel, have been hurt by the church, or don’t go to church. I feel like we should be extremely intentional to balance the realities of sin with love, the reality of judgment with grace and to bind them together with the ultimate hope that we as Christians have.
I worry that when we spend the majority of our time telling people that their sinners and a miniscule amount of time telling people about grace, hope and love what we are doing is wounding people but leaving them with nothing to bind up their wounds. I worry because a wound without a bandage will fester, will get infected and will kill a person.
When we draw hard lines in the sand, and we promote walking a hard line we have to also promote grace, hope and love with an equal measure.
When we spend the whole of our sermons on wounding and pruning people but spend very little time talking about what will heal them (grace, hope and love) essentially what we are doing is chopping off their arm then handing them a child size band aid to cover the gushing wound.
I guess that’s where my formulated thoughts on this subject come to an end. I feel like there is so much more to it but I have yet to sit down and think it out.
But what about it? What do you think? How do you feel when you feel hopeless? How do you think people without the knowledge of the hope we as Christians always have, how do you think they feel without that?
I’ve been back in my home state of Michigan for the last two weeks and it has been grand. Family, friends and fireworks, it really couldn’t get better. One of the things I like best about coming home is the drive to get here. Ten glorious hours in the car with just me, my music, and my thoughts.
The whole drive home my mind was wrapped around hope and my absolute need for it. If I think back to what I would consider the “worst” parts of my life so far, they all have one underlying theme- hopelessness.
There is a quote I often remember that says “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope”.
I think that this hopelessness is what makes me cringe with regards to “bullhorn” evangelism. Now before I proceed please understand I’m not saying that we shouldn’t call people out with regards to sin. We absolutely should. I’m not saying we should promote a gospel that is all sunshine, gum drops, rainbows and unicorns because there is a real side to God that is justice and there is a real place called hell and people will go there. What I’m questioning is the way in which we inform people about sin in their lives.
My impressions of “bullhorn/ fire and brimstone” evangelism is that it is loud. I get this impression that it’s in your face. So effectively what I think happens when we stand on street corners yelling into people’s ears about sin and hell is that we deafen them. We shout so loudly about brimstone that they can’t hear the actual good news. We tell them their sinners (which is true of everyone) and without Jesus they’re going to hell (which is also true) and then that’s where they stop listening, that’s where they can’t hear any more because we’ve deafened them. I wonder when we do this if we are leaving people without hope and how that will affect a person.
So here is my main point- the measure in which we are being severe with people (e.g. calling them out on their sin) should be met with equal measures of grace, love, and hope. We should not be spending fifty minutes yelling at people about sin and only spend two minutes telling them about grace, love, and hope.
I’m talking specifically about when we are talking to people who don’t either know the gospel, have been hurt by the church, or don’t go to church. I feel like we should be extremely intentional to balance the realities of sin with love, the reality of judgment with grace and to bind them together with the ultimate hope that we as Christians have.
I worry that when we spend the majority of our time telling people that their sinners and a miniscule amount of time telling people about grace, hope and love what we are doing is wounding people but leaving them with nothing to bind up their wounds. I worry because a wound without a bandage will fester, will get infected and will kill a person.
When we draw hard lines in the sand, and we promote walking a hard line we have to also promote grace, hope and love with an equal measure.
When we spend the whole of our sermons on wounding and pruning people but spend very little time talking about what will heal them (grace, hope and love) essentially what we are doing is chopping off their arm then handing them a child size band aid to cover the gushing wound.
I guess that’s where my formulated thoughts on this subject come to an end. I feel like there is so much more to it but I have yet to sit down and think it out.
But what about it? What do you think? How do you feel when you feel hopeless? How do you think people without the knowledge of the hope we as Christians always have, how do you think they feel without that?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Your Thoughts...
With evangelism on all our minds now I want to open this blog up like a forum. Not only do I want post my thoughts but I want to hear yours also. Limber up your fingers, and start your typing engines! (You can leave your comments at the bottom of this blog.)
I’ll keep this shorter than normal but I would like to say something.
In general, I like Rob Bell. Rob Bell was the man talking in the video this Sunday. He was the opposite to “bullhorn guy”. However, as I was watching it I couldn’t help but wonder, would we feel differently about bullhorn guy if he was portrayed differently?
In the video bullhorn guy was portrayed as kind of stuffy, would we have felt differently if bullhorn guy was a younger, hipster, trendy cool looking guy? I don’t know.
Anyway we’ve been talking about evangelism now for two weeks. What are everyone’s thoughts?
Do you think that bullhorn guy is getting it wrong? Do you think there is a place for bull horn guy with regards to evangelism? And if you disagree with the way bullhorn guy goes about things, what do you believe are better ways to approach evangelism?
In general, what are your thoughts?
I’ll keep this shorter than normal but I would like to say something.
In general, I like Rob Bell. Rob Bell was the man talking in the video this Sunday. He was the opposite to “bullhorn guy”. However, as I was watching it I couldn’t help but wonder, would we feel differently about bullhorn guy if he was portrayed differently?
In the video bullhorn guy was portrayed as kind of stuffy, would we have felt differently if bullhorn guy was a younger, hipster, trendy cool looking guy? I don’t know.
Anyway we’ve been talking about evangelism now for two weeks. What are everyone’s thoughts?
Do you think that bullhorn guy is getting it wrong? Do you think there is a place for bull horn guy with regards to evangelism? And if you disagree with the way bullhorn guy goes about things, what do you believe are better ways to approach evangelism?
In general, what are your thoughts?
Monday, June 15, 2009
You Are Not Alone
I have a lot of thoughts about last nights message at the Thread but rather than focus on them I wanted to say this because I think it needs to be said and it needs to be said often.
You are not alone.
I know that seems like an odd way to start but really, you are NOT alone.
I want to say this because I wonder how many people feel completely and utterly alone in their faith. I wonder how many people feel that they can’t be part of a church because their brand of faith is a little different, they worship a little differently, they think differently, they connect the dots differently, they have doubts that overwhelm them, and questions that they can not answer.
I wonder how many people, in churches today feel like they’ve been backed into a corner where they feel like they’re being told “If you’re not for us, you’re against us.” I wonder how many people have thought and are thinking “well, if that’s the case, then I guess I don’t belong… I guess I’m alone.”
I can not tell you how much I hurt for people in those situations and how much I feel for them because I was one of them and on certain days, I am still one of them.
Often throughout my life I have felt like there are normal Christians here on the planet Earth, who all worship the same and their faiths look the same… and then there is me, way out by myself on Pluto, which isn’t even a planet and I have a third eye and green skin! It’s not that my faith is way off base but rather it’s like a maze. We’ll both get to the same end but we’ll take different ways to get there. We’ll connect the dots differently.
And I want to say, that’s good! We’re not meant to think the same! We’re supposed to be different! But even as I say that I know it won’t fully lessen the burden someone carries when they think they are the only one, when they feel the wrenching pain of loneliness.
So I think about my own life and how it is that I have such a deep seeded loneliness in me. Where did this come from, and how can I dig out of it?
I certainly don’t want to appear to be bashing the church or it’s inhabitants but I feel that a lot of the time when something is meaningful to one person, they assume that it should be meaningful to all people. Understand I am not talking about biblical principles which should be meaningful to all. I am talking about the person who God convicted to stop drinking soda, who then took it as a mandate that everyone should stop drinking soda, who then proceeds to tell everyone that if they want to please God they should also stop drinking soda. (Obviously, I made this example up. You can replace “drinking soda” with anything… who God convicted to stop listening to a certain band, or who God convicted to give money to a certain charity… take your pick.) Just because something is meaningful to one person doesn’t mean it will be as meaningful to someone else. We need to remember that people are different. If it so happens that it’s not as meaningful to them then we should stop trying to force it on them.
When we force our purposes onto people and make it seem like unless they get meaning out of it also they are not as “righteous” as us, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper in them.
When we refuse to listen to someone to the end of their conclusion, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper in them.
When we don’t even attempt to understand someone’s way of doing it, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper in them.
When we constantly try to get people to think the same way as us, and agree with us and our conclusions with no regard to how they feel, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper and deeper.
Let me tell you what loneliness will do to a person, the deep seeded loneliness I’m speaking of.
Loneliness causes people to not want to open up. It makes them highly insecure because when you look around you think “Gosh, I’m the only one who thinks like this. I must be wrong! I just won’t say anything…. I’ll just keep my mouth shut and I’ll just keep smiling.” And the more you stay quiet, the less you say, makes that third eye you think you have stick out even more, and it makes you think your skin turned a shade greener.
When loneliness keeps you from speaking there is no such thing as community or fellowship to you. You feel alone everywhere. In the middle of a crowded Sunday morning service you feel alone. In a bible study, you feel alone. Loneliness causes people to turn their back not only on the church but also on God because unfortunately many think that they go hand in hand and if they don’t fit in the church, they don’t fit with God either.
Let me just say that I have been there, and sometimes I am still there. I still wrestle with the idea of what a “good” Christian is suppose to look like. I still struggle daily with telling people what I’m really thinking, what I’m really feeling, and about the doubts that sometimes overwhelm me and I still struggle with this because I have been hurt in the past and I can not feel that pain again. I struggle with being able to trust people with who I really am because I can not feel the pain of isolation from the church again.
I don’t have some magical formula for not feeling loneliness (although I wish I did.) All I can say is pray that God will direct you to others that you can be open and vulnerable with, who will not only value your opinions and treat them with respect but who will also love and care for you, the real you, the three eyed, green skin you.
So I’ll end with this that
You are not alone.
You are not alone.
You are not alone.
These four words are balm for the lonely heart and when you see that it is true, these words will heal and bring peace, comfort, community, and trust.
At least, they have for me.
You are not alone.
I know that seems like an odd way to start but really, you are NOT alone.
I want to say this because I wonder how many people feel completely and utterly alone in their faith. I wonder how many people feel that they can’t be part of a church because their brand of faith is a little different, they worship a little differently, they think differently, they connect the dots differently, they have doubts that overwhelm them, and questions that they can not answer.
I wonder how many people, in churches today feel like they’ve been backed into a corner where they feel like they’re being told “If you’re not for us, you’re against us.” I wonder how many people have thought and are thinking “well, if that’s the case, then I guess I don’t belong… I guess I’m alone.”
I can not tell you how much I hurt for people in those situations and how much I feel for them because I was one of them and on certain days, I am still one of them.
Often throughout my life I have felt like there are normal Christians here on the planet Earth, who all worship the same and their faiths look the same… and then there is me, way out by myself on Pluto, which isn’t even a planet and I have a third eye and green skin! It’s not that my faith is way off base but rather it’s like a maze. We’ll both get to the same end but we’ll take different ways to get there. We’ll connect the dots differently.
And I want to say, that’s good! We’re not meant to think the same! We’re supposed to be different! But even as I say that I know it won’t fully lessen the burden someone carries when they think they are the only one, when they feel the wrenching pain of loneliness.
So I think about my own life and how it is that I have such a deep seeded loneliness in me. Where did this come from, and how can I dig out of it?
I certainly don’t want to appear to be bashing the church or it’s inhabitants but I feel that a lot of the time when something is meaningful to one person, they assume that it should be meaningful to all people. Understand I am not talking about biblical principles which should be meaningful to all. I am talking about the person who God convicted to stop drinking soda, who then took it as a mandate that everyone should stop drinking soda, who then proceeds to tell everyone that if they want to please God they should also stop drinking soda. (Obviously, I made this example up. You can replace “drinking soda” with anything… who God convicted to stop listening to a certain band, or who God convicted to give money to a certain charity… take your pick.) Just because something is meaningful to one person doesn’t mean it will be as meaningful to someone else. We need to remember that people are different. If it so happens that it’s not as meaningful to them then we should stop trying to force it on them.
When we force our purposes onto people and make it seem like unless they get meaning out of it also they are not as “righteous” as us, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper in them.
When we refuse to listen to someone to the end of their conclusion, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper in them.
When we don’t even attempt to understand someone’s way of doing it, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper in them.
When we constantly try to get people to think the same way as us, and agree with us and our conclusions with no regard to how they feel, we are burying the seeds of loneliness deeper and deeper.
Let me tell you what loneliness will do to a person, the deep seeded loneliness I’m speaking of.
Loneliness causes people to not want to open up. It makes them highly insecure because when you look around you think “Gosh, I’m the only one who thinks like this. I must be wrong! I just won’t say anything…. I’ll just keep my mouth shut and I’ll just keep smiling.” And the more you stay quiet, the less you say, makes that third eye you think you have stick out even more, and it makes you think your skin turned a shade greener.
When loneliness keeps you from speaking there is no such thing as community or fellowship to you. You feel alone everywhere. In the middle of a crowded Sunday morning service you feel alone. In a bible study, you feel alone. Loneliness causes people to turn their back not only on the church but also on God because unfortunately many think that they go hand in hand and if they don’t fit in the church, they don’t fit with God either.
Let me just say that I have been there, and sometimes I am still there. I still wrestle with the idea of what a “good” Christian is suppose to look like. I still struggle daily with telling people what I’m really thinking, what I’m really feeling, and about the doubts that sometimes overwhelm me and I still struggle with this because I have been hurt in the past and I can not feel that pain again. I struggle with being able to trust people with who I really am because I can not feel the pain of isolation from the church again.
I don’t have some magical formula for not feeling loneliness (although I wish I did.) All I can say is pray that God will direct you to others that you can be open and vulnerable with, who will not only value your opinions and treat them with respect but who will also love and care for you, the real you, the three eyed, green skin you.
So I’ll end with this that
You are not alone.
You are not alone.
You are not alone.
These four words are balm for the lonely heart and when you see that it is true, these words will heal and bring peace, comfort, community, and trust.
At least, they have for me.
Monday, June 8, 2009
What can you do today?
Well I’ll be honest yesterday’s sermon at the Thread certainly gave me a lot to think about.
It struck me last night that with the Holy Spirit’s backing on just our everyday lives mighty things can be accomplished. On the opposite side of the coin a ministry without the holy spirit’s backing could very well reach no one. I don’t know about anyone else but this struck me as kind of odd to think that maybe my everyday life could possibly reach more people than my being in full-time ministry.
The question I walked away with last night was one David bought up, “What have we been called to do now?” Now as in where we are right now, sitting at the computer on June 8th, 2009. If we focus too much on the impact we’re going to make years from now we miss out on the impact that we could be having today! It is all well and good to plan for the future and I encourage people to do it within reason, but there is a here and now and we should be focusing on it.
If a church has small numbers they shouldn’t be thinking “Well, in a year from now, when we have more members we’ll be able to make a bigger impact.” Wouldn’t it be wiser as a community to be asking/saying “Well we have these people now, how can we make an impact now?” The needs that people have today are probably going to be very different than the needs they have a year from now and if we aren’t meeting their present needs wouldn’t that somewhat alter their future needs?
Last night I also was struck by this idea of suffering for the gospel. Often times in my own life I find myself thinking that I’d be so much more willing to suffer for the gospel if I was doing something really cool like being a missionary in Africa, or really being a missionary anywhere but in America. When I think of “suffering” for the gospel I think of people like William Tyndale who was strangled and burned at the stake for translating the bible into modern English (circa 1530.)
I think of Pastors in China who are regularly imprisoned and beat within an inch of their life for preaching the gospel.
I would like to think that I would be willing to endure that pain and suffering for the gospel but that’s only because it’s distinguishable and venerable. But what if my suffering for the gospel is no more than just doing the monotonous things that need to be done that I‘d rather not do? What if my suffering for the gospel means that I live in a place that I would rather leave? What if my suffering for the gospel means that I give up the big dreams I have for my life and live the smaller life that God would want for me?
Then what?
Are we as willing to suffer for the gospel when it means that our dreams are made smaller? Are we as willing to suffer for the gospel if it means that our suffering isn’t physical but rather emotional?
I’m not looking for glory by any means but it should be noted that we view people like William Tyndale and Pastors in China with high regard. Let’s face it, there are not a lot of books being written about the ministries of people who arrive on time to work, who push paper in a cubical, who through their work ethic and love minister to their co-workers and bosses but this type of ministry is just as needed and just a meaningful and distinguishable as any other.
I am not meaning to say that there isn’t a place for people to go into full-time ministry because obviously there is I’m just saying that I believe for most people, the ministry we’ve been called into is the ministry of living the lives God gave us. No matter if that means writing a best selling book, working at a coffee shop, climbing the corporate ladder, being a good student, serving as a worship leader, pushing paper, volunteering at a homeless shelter, or helping with a children’s ministry part time. If God has called you to do it then it better get done.
Just like if God calls you to go to China and preach, then do it.
Just like if God calls you to stay at your present job and love the people there, then do it.
I have to imagine that if God calls someone to do something then there must be a need for it and we would be doing a grave disservice to God if we tried to live above our calling or tried to make our calling something else.
So… I guess what I want to end with a few questions:
Where are you at today? What’s your job? What do you believe is your calling?
Ultimately-
What has God called you to do today?
It struck me last night that with the Holy Spirit’s backing on just our everyday lives mighty things can be accomplished. On the opposite side of the coin a ministry without the holy spirit’s backing could very well reach no one. I don’t know about anyone else but this struck me as kind of odd to think that maybe my everyday life could possibly reach more people than my being in full-time ministry.
The question I walked away with last night was one David bought up, “What have we been called to do now?” Now as in where we are right now, sitting at the computer on June 8th, 2009. If we focus too much on the impact we’re going to make years from now we miss out on the impact that we could be having today! It is all well and good to plan for the future and I encourage people to do it within reason, but there is a here and now and we should be focusing on it.
If a church has small numbers they shouldn’t be thinking “Well, in a year from now, when we have more members we’ll be able to make a bigger impact.” Wouldn’t it be wiser as a community to be asking/saying “Well we have these people now, how can we make an impact now?” The needs that people have today are probably going to be very different than the needs they have a year from now and if we aren’t meeting their present needs wouldn’t that somewhat alter their future needs?
Last night I also was struck by this idea of suffering for the gospel. Often times in my own life I find myself thinking that I’d be so much more willing to suffer for the gospel if I was doing something really cool like being a missionary in Africa, or really being a missionary anywhere but in America. When I think of “suffering” for the gospel I think of people like William Tyndale who was strangled and burned at the stake for translating the bible into modern English (circa 1530.)
I think of Pastors in China who are regularly imprisoned and beat within an inch of their life for preaching the gospel.
I would like to think that I would be willing to endure that pain and suffering for the gospel but that’s only because it’s distinguishable and venerable. But what if my suffering for the gospel is no more than just doing the monotonous things that need to be done that I‘d rather not do? What if my suffering for the gospel means that I live in a place that I would rather leave? What if my suffering for the gospel means that I give up the big dreams I have for my life and live the smaller life that God would want for me?
Then what?
Are we as willing to suffer for the gospel when it means that our dreams are made smaller? Are we as willing to suffer for the gospel if it means that our suffering isn’t physical but rather emotional?
I’m not looking for glory by any means but it should be noted that we view people like William Tyndale and Pastors in China with high regard. Let’s face it, there are not a lot of books being written about the ministries of people who arrive on time to work, who push paper in a cubical, who through their work ethic and love minister to their co-workers and bosses but this type of ministry is just as needed and just a meaningful and distinguishable as any other.
I am not meaning to say that there isn’t a place for people to go into full-time ministry because obviously there is I’m just saying that I believe for most people, the ministry we’ve been called into is the ministry of living the lives God gave us. No matter if that means writing a best selling book, working at a coffee shop, climbing the corporate ladder, being a good student, serving as a worship leader, pushing paper, volunteering at a homeless shelter, or helping with a children’s ministry part time. If God has called you to do it then it better get done.
Just like if God calls you to go to China and preach, then do it.
Just like if God calls you to stay at your present job and love the people there, then do it.
I have to imagine that if God calls someone to do something then there must be a need for it and we would be doing a grave disservice to God if we tried to live above our calling or tried to make our calling something else.
So… I guess what I want to end with a few questions:
Where are you at today? What’s your job? What do you believe is your calling?
Ultimately-
What has God called you to do today?
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Let's talk!
I thought I would just start writing and everything would be great but then I realized that anyone reading this right now has no idea who I am and I thought it a good idea to preface this with a little information about me.
My name is Crystal. I won’t play into the game where I pretend I’m perfect because I am not perfect. I am a flawed and broken person and most of the time I feel like I can’t get my head on straight and that’s if I can even find my head to begin with. I have struggles and insecurities and I see daily that my only hope and reason is in Christ and His love for me.
I also want to preface by saying that I am not a biblical scholar. I read my bible, and I feel like I understand about 5% of it, so please take this all with a grain of salt. If you disagree with me or agree with me or think I am out of my mind… let’s talk. I love discussion and so let’s start one.
What’s been going on lately?
If you’ve been attending the thread lately we’ve been discussing spiritual gifts and let me say that this has really challenged me. I began to think that if God truly gave me a gift it would be selfish and nonetheless a disservice to him if I didn’t use it. (Oh and by the way, he has gifted us all somehow!)
So I began to pray that I would find a practical way to use my gift(s). Enter this blog. It’s funny though that when I was given the opportunity to write on this blog I hesitated, even though I really felt like it was answer to my “practical way to use my gifts” prayer. So why did I hesitate?
Well for one because I am absolutely a terrible “writer.” I’m somewhat good with words but if you ask me where to put, a, coma, I, really, have, no, idea.
Also I feel that a lot of the time using my gifts makes me vulnerable and if I’m being honest, that’s a hard place for me to be. My top gift was Shepherding and if I use that gift it means I have to really invest in people. I have to really care about them and love them. It’s not that I have a problem with doing those things but rather sometimes people can be cruel, even if you know them well and genuinely care about them. It goes back to my problem with being vulnerable.
But even with all the doubts around me, I keep coming back to this idea that God doesn’t give us our gifts because He wants us to hide them or never use them. Rather He gives us gifts because He loves us and wants us to show that love to others. And I believe that it is an act of love to use the gifts God gives you.
Last Sunday it was encouraging/ great to see people use their gifts and talk about their gifts and I hope as a community of believers that we continue to grow in our own gifts and continue to bless others by using our gifts.
If you’re wondering what you’re spiritual gifts are, take the assessment test at www.thethreadworship.com and click the heading “The Pastor.” You should see a link that says “Click here to find your unique wiring.”
If you want to talk about spiritual gifts come out to the Thread. I am sure that anyone there would love to talk more about spiritual gifts.
So…
Let’s talk.
(Remember though, no Thread for the next two Sunday nights instead Life Action Ministries will be in charge of the service. )
My name is Crystal. I won’t play into the game where I pretend I’m perfect because I am not perfect. I am a flawed and broken person and most of the time I feel like I can’t get my head on straight and that’s if I can even find my head to begin with. I have struggles and insecurities and I see daily that my only hope and reason is in Christ and His love for me.
I also want to preface by saying that I am not a biblical scholar. I read my bible, and I feel like I understand about 5% of it, so please take this all with a grain of salt. If you disagree with me or agree with me or think I am out of my mind… let’s talk. I love discussion and so let’s start one.
What’s been going on lately?
If you’ve been attending the thread lately we’ve been discussing spiritual gifts and let me say that this has really challenged me. I began to think that if God truly gave me a gift it would be selfish and nonetheless a disservice to him if I didn’t use it. (Oh and by the way, he has gifted us all somehow!)
So I began to pray that I would find a practical way to use my gift(s). Enter this blog. It’s funny though that when I was given the opportunity to write on this blog I hesitated, even though I really felt like it was answer to my “practical way to use my gifts” prayer. So why did I hesitate?
Well for one because I am absolutely a terrible “writer.” I’m somewhat good with words but if you ask me where to put, a, coma, I, really, have, no, idea.
Also I feel that a lot of the time using my gifts makes me vulnerable and if I’m being honest, that’s a hard place for me to be. My top gift was Shepherding and if I use that gift it means I have to really invest in people. I have to really care about them and love them. It’s not that I have a problem with doing those things but rather sometimes people can be cruel, even if you know them well and genuinely care about them. It goes back to my problem with being vulnerable.
But even with all the doubts around me, I keep coming back to this idea that God doesn’t give us our gifts because He wants us to hide them or never use them. Rather He gives us gifts because He loves us and wants us to show that love to others. And I believe that it is an act of love to use the gifts God gives you.
Last Sunday it was encouraging/ great to see people use their gifts and talk about their gifts and I hope as a community of believers that we continue to grow in our own gifts and continue to bless others by using our gifts.
If you’re wondering what you’re spiritual gifts are, take the assessment test at www.thethreadworship.com and click the heading “The Pastor.” You should see a link that says “Click here to find your unique wiring.”
If you want to talk about spiritual gifts come out to the Thread. I am sure that anyone there would love to talk more about spiritual gifts.
So…
Let’s talk.
(Remember though, no Thread for the next two Sunday nights instead Life Action Ministries will be in charge of the service. )
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