May 11, 2008

We had the privilege of participating in the worldwide church’s birthday party today. Every year the church celebrates Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter. The very first one was marked by the sermon of the apostle Peter that led 3000 people to be baptized that day. Every Pentecost since, there are many baptisms on that day by the church, totaling more than 3000 when you add all the churches in the world. Sahali Fellowship had the privilege of being part of that annual celebration again this year with two baptisms. It is the one event of the church that marks success in carrying out the purpose of her existence. The whole church family gathers to celebrate that God is still actively growing his family, the Holy Spirit is still actively poured out on people! Wow!

I find it sad that many in the church do not add the time to their schedules to participate in celebrating the greatest event of the church. Some plan other activities that take precedence over God’s agenda. All the angels in heaven take time out to rejoice over the event, but the people on earth have other things to do. Does it make sense? No. Church is never about something to attend. Church is never about filling a spiritual slot in our lives that takes an hour a week. Church is never about religion.

Church is about carrying out God’s purpose to extend the good news about his love and to celebrate when people believe it and join his family. I am so glad I once again experienced the joy of the year event. I feel sad for anyone who missed God’s great act of grace.

pH

April 16, 2008

You just get your heart set on something and all of a sudden everything changes.

I am taking this doctorate program at university, which included 10 courses plus a 180-page dissertation. I finished six and am all excited about the seventh on preaching and spiritual formation when they send out this announcement to change the number of required courses from 10 to 8. Yippee! Less reading. Less writing. Less tuition. Get at that dissertation earlier. So most of the students drop the course and suddenly I am the only one. They cancelled it.

Now I am left with all these textbooks with valuable information inside and no professor to breathe down my neck to get with the reading and reflecting. How am I supposed to learn anything?  How am I supposed to learn how to preach properly without the course? I am totally stuck.

Wait a minute. Suddenly God whispers in my ear that maybe I could practice a little self-discipline and read the books anyway.  Maybe I could let the Holy Spirit teach me some things. Maybe the problem is not the lack of a course but the lack of being on course.

So now I’m reading. And loving it.

God has given all of us his book. It’s a pretty awesome text. Any chance you could read it without a course or a professor or a preacher? It’s a great way to keep on course.

pH