When Jesus saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion. He was not, however, controlled by the masses. He sometimes left them to go be alone or to give more time to a chosen few. He often involved His disciples in the process of caring for others and then He came home to them. He gave them special care and friendship for three years before He gave them the charge to make other disciples. In the feeding of the 5,000, the disciples ate too.
Sometimes, I wonder, if we focus too much on having an open front door in our churches. If the emphasis is always on reaching the community, believers might not invest the time in becoming disciples of Christ. And when things get uncomfortable for legitimate or false reasons, it is too easy to go out the back door, because everyone is focused on the front door. Numbers may stay the same, but faces change. And sometimes, no one even notices.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone needs to have a place to go where it is all about them.
That place would be home.
Jesus said," I go to prepare a place for YOU
that where I am there YOU may be also."
Everyone needs to have a place to go where it is all about them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A gift given by one who is of a controlling nature, makes the receiver feel obligated to be grateful. The gift is meant to control the other person's behavior. It was not given to show love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pain that is not transformed is transferred." Richard Rohr
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Crows go in flocks and wolves in packs,
but the lion and the eagle are solitaires.
Strength is not in bluster and noise.
Strength is in quietness.
The lake must be calm if the
heavens are to be reflected on its surface."
(Streams in the Desert)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There is no such sweet singing as a song in the night."
(Streams in the Desert)
No comments:
Post a Comment