The Waving of the Red Flags

We were sitting outside at Starbucks (no big surprise there!) We both were sipping on the Autumn delight of Spice Pumpkin latte...ahhh.... It had been nearly a year since we had purposed to invest time in one another...too long, but oh, so good to see this friend again.


Her life over the past several years had been invested in a position at a local church. Her intentions were honorable: to 'work for the Lord' helping here, organizing there, lining up volunteers for this and that, and earning a bit of 'extra' finances as well!  However, what had begun as "part-time" had slowly, steadily overtaken her life to the point that her husband and family didn't want anything to do with "that place" or "those people" any longer. They were being replaced by church obligation and activity and they didn't like it.


Unique? Isolated? No, not really.  Most humans enter into positions, responsibility within a church-body with the best of intentions: to help out; to become involved; to be active; to give back.  However, when the "doing" overtakes the "being," spiritual red flags begin waving all over, but are rarely, if ever, acknowledged.  How come? Those 'leading the charge' are caught up in the 'doing' even more than the followers! When those in position of leadership become enamored with 'growth', 'programs', 'staff' and finances to support what they've built rather than prayer, meditation, fasting, personal time in the Living Word, it's time to ask some clarifying questions.  Harsh? Unreasonable? Heresy? 


What was Jesus' example?
What occupied His time? His life?
In how many did He invest Himself?
What did He teach?
In what was His significance?


If "more", "new", "big" were the keys to spiritual growth, we would be living in a land of spiritual giants....


Observing the waving of the red flags,
     Ele

Routine Disrupted

What happens to humans when routine is disrupted? Depends, doesn't it? We experienced our national routine being disrupted on 9-11-01.  We know what that was like: We're still living with the residue of that particular 'disruption.' For example, air travel will never be the "Come Fly the Friendly Skies" again: Routine Disrupted causes change.


Nations handle 'routine disrupted' in one manner.  Individuals cope with 'routine disrupted' in various ways: Confusion, complaining, depression, frustration, withdrawal or digging-in, flexing, re-grouping...depending on the human.


The Living Word of God offers us another perspective, God's perspective. 


  Ephesians 2:10 says it like this, "You (Christ-follower) are God's Masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He has prepared, in advance, for you to do."


A couple things:


1. We are highly valued by God.  WE are HIS Masterpiece! Wow! If we only believed this....


2. We are created.  We're not from pus on the tip of slim from some pre-historic pond. We're hand-crafted by the GodHead!!! Another WOW!


3. We are created in Christ Jesus to do good works! We have purpose beyond ourselves...HIS purpose! (Third WOW!)


4. GOD, has PREPARED, IN ADVANCE, these good works for us to do!!  Ahhh...there's the rub!! You see, GOD has NO 'routine disrupted' as HE IS THE AUTHOR OF BOTH 'ROUTINE' AS WELL AS 'DISRUPTION'!  The kicker? To God, THEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME!!


How do you respond to this? How does this Truth transform your Reality...or does it?


Would love to interact on this one!!


"Routining' in HIS 'disruption',
Ele