|
 |
Congregations… are places to gather for worship where a larger
dimension to life is opened up beyond just the practical and
routine. A deeply spiritual dimension is available to you there.
It celebrates the richness of the mix of people who come to
serve God. You'll find lots of action and opportunity to do,
think, and grow. |
|
Be Still…and Know
By Gus Keiser
Give ear, O my people, to my
teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will
open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of
old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors
have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will
tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD,
and his might, and the wonders that he has done.
Psalm 78: 1-4
|
Volunteer
|
|
For reasons
that are unknown, we think that the Christian life should be
characterized by our personal relationship with God: by what we
think of him, how we meditate on him, how he answers our
prayers, and what he says to us.
While these things certainly are a big part of the process… we
also need to make the most of those moments of meditation and
prayer between God and ourselves, whether we’re in mid-flight to
somewhere, listening to some presentation at a meeting, or just
sitting at our desks or at home in some cozy chair. But in this
psalm, the writer identifies another agenda for our lives with
Jesus. He encourages us to take all the wisdom and insight we’ve
gained through our times with Jesus and intentionally pass them
on to others. Whether it be through some mentoring relationship
at church or at home with our own children, we need to share
what God has done in the past, both through the scriptures and
in our lives. However, in order to do this, we need to have some
familiarity with God’s Word, and also be unafraid to share
things from our own lives. We need to know how God interacted
with his people in the past, while also paying attention to what
he has actively been doing in our own lives.
Then we have to determine the best methods we can use for
passing these insights on to the next generation. We can bring
them up in a teaching context, or we can inject them into our
casual conversations with friends, co-workers, and others whose
lives may be experiencing confusion, anger, hurt or other
uncertainties. We can talk with others about the importance of
allowing God to be a part of their lives, relating experiences
when God was there for us during difficult times. Perhaps
hearing about how God answered our prayers may provide them with
the faith that they need to face the difficulties they may be
encountering.
Some people have found it helpful to take the time to prepare a
list of the times in their lives when God showed up to make a
crooked way straight or some bumpy road level. And let us not
forget to mention those praiseworthy deeds of God the next time
we have the opportunity to advise or encourage someone else
God has called us to be his voice and his witness throughout and
with our lives. God’s Word is there to be shared. God’s presence
is there to be offered. He has done for us so that we might do
for others in his name.
Lord, make me that instrument to sound forth your Word and your
salvation. Amen.
|
