For Real?

Okay, so I’m not very fancy right?  But this morning I was reminded of the fact that so often we are surrounded by people, things, and even terminology that can baffle us at times.  This morning in the coffee shop I hear names of coffee drinks, at least I think they are, that sound more like names of European race cars than they do drinks.  I am sitting next to a  young man that is studying from a book that is full of medical terms and procedures that I couldn’t begin to pronounce or understand.  All this reminds me that we know what we know and unless we are otherwise introduced to something new we will remain on the outside merely looking in.  

The church can have this same effect on so many people as they walk into a narthex or foyer of a church only then to proceed to the sanctuary or chapel.  Where they can far to often get lost in the stand, sit, & kneel of a traditional church service.  I find myself more and more trying to create an environment where people will feel welcome in our little cafe & auditorium.  So that when they are brave enough to drive into a new parking lot, walk through new doors, meet new people, and hopefully meet God a person like no one else they have ever met they will not be intimidated or turned off.  None of us will continue to frequent a place where we feel out of place, un-welcomed, or not on the same playing field.  Everybody wants to be an insider right away and though they may be difficult in a lot of settings it is not impossible in the church.

This Sunday no matter where you worship make an intentional effort to bridge that, familiar to you but scary to others, gap.

DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT?

This morning as I often do I grabbed a protein bar from the house and then enjoyed a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop. But this morning I tried to be a little more aware of my surroundings than usual, not because the crime rate of Port Orange is up but because I am constantly overwhelmed by the thought that God is always aware of what’s going on around Him and at the same time fully aware of what is going on in our lives as well. So this morning what did I notice? I noticed a local pastor sitting just a table away working on his computer, on what I don’t know, but intensely working nonetheless. I saw a mother enjoying a breakfast with her daughter before taking her to school for the day, a couple of men reliving their glory days, a group of cable workers strategizing their game plan for the day, and me just sitting and observing the lives of people that are coexisting but rarely intersecting. Now the interesting thought however is that if something big, tragic, or shocking had taken place in that little coffee shop everyone in an instant would have been aligned with concentrated focus and mutual concern for those involved or in danger. What does this have to do with the church, by church I mean the body of believers kind of church? It means that we must ask the question are we just a bunch of people that coexist on Sunday mornings never intersecting with one another or are we willing to align ourselves with God’s vision during this big, tragic, and shocking time? Are we aligned with concentrated focus and mutual concern for those involved or in danger? Are you connected and intersecting with those in your workplace, family, or small group? Grab a cup of coffee or hot tea this week and try to “see” what your looking at.