It strikes me…….

And- horror of horrors- my mobile's run out of credit, so I'll get a take-away and eat it on the bus, so that I wont have to sit and actually think about anything. And when I need to get off, I must get rid of what I'm holding immediately - as it's now an inconvenience to me. I often feel like leaving POST IT note - please remember that this is a bus/pavement/churchyard/car-park and not a dustbin. In fact I get so depressed about some people's lack of interest in their immediate environment that I wish I lived somewhere else. Or at least, join my favourite prophet Jeremiah in exclaiming ~

"O that my head were waters,
and my eyes a fountain of tears
so that I could weep day and night for my people."

He even goes on to say " I Wish I had a place in the desert, so that I could go away and forget about them"

(Wow I'm not alone in this thought!)

He didn't of course. Jeremiah knew that his proper place was right in the middle of the people God had entrusted him with, to warn, to guide, and to constantly speak out against the evil he saw around him, which was a result of forgetting about God, and about how much He loved them and cared about them.

Poor Jeremiah, he could see people getting into trouble & even getting horribly killed because of misunderstandings between different groups of people, who weren't willing to listen to each other and to God.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR DOESN'T IT!

( You can read the rest of what he says about his neighbours in Chapter 9)

As I think I have said before, the devil is still prowling around looking for people & situations that aren't quite rooted and grounded in God's love. He loves to slip in and stir up trouble, and is often so subtle that no-one notices what's happening until it is too late. He especially loves to divide people who profess to be Christian.

So lets keep listening to God and to each other. Lets keep asking Him how he sees the problems and situations that he is trusting us to deal with.

( Lord what is your idea about this & show us how to help you carry it out.)

During August let's take some time to reflect on our own motivations - do we believe this is right because:

a) it will benefit me
b) I'll be able to cope with it easily
c) I won't have to change any of my thinking
d) It will make me feel important
e) I need to dominate someone
f) I will 2feel2safe if we do it this way

etc,etc,etc.

Or

It may not benefit mew personally, but maybe if God is really leading this it should be of help to the whole church/community/environment etc.

So, during this month, lets live thoughtfully, reflecting on our life together. We are here to show God to the community - so lets keep listening - and expect Him to speak.

A church in the Midlands has a sign in the porch for arriving worshippers.

*REMEMBER-

Before the service - Talk to God
During the service - Listen to God
After the service - Talk to one another!

Lets work with the Lord to get our priorities right!
And let the Lord work with us so that we can sing an updated version of the song ~
" Jesus, you are changing us……

Margaret C.
1st August 2005

*Thanks to Graham Lyons, All Saints, New Eltham for spotting this.