What the Church is all about.

As I reflect on songs chosen by Teresa and Heather as they lead the Community Needs and Services awareness day today, I invite you to consider thoughtfully those words (No.575) “Let your heart be broken for a world in need.” My thoughts also go to the words of Hymn 581:

When the Church of Jesus shuts its outer door,

Lest the roar of traffic drown the voice of prayer,

May our prayers, Lord, make us ten times more aware,

That the world we banish is OUR Christian care!

Let me ask you today, I invite you to pause and ask yourself this question: “what are we all about?” Is the church all about coming together on Sabbath at 11 am for what we call worship?

For a moment think of a football team, what do you want to see the huddle before the game, or the game? Where does the action take place?

Of course – the game after the huddle! When the players get into the field. So, our Sabbath 11 am is the huddle. Our life from Sabbath sundown to Friday sundown is in the field, in the Game of Salvation.

Today, and every week we come to embrace each other, prepare for, and commit to unity, to teamwork, to a common goal, so when we go out there – we would execute the game plan of our Chief Captain Jesus. How was your Salvation game this week? Did you score a soul for Jesus? Did you at least make a move, or a pass, or some progress toward assisting someone coming closer to the Kingdom of God?

This week I met with pastor Kossovan of Windsor Adventist church who just returned from Chicago where he spent 3 weeks in his Doctor of Ministry program studying the Urban Evangelism. He interacted there with a Catholic pastor Mike Phleger, of the “while entitlement” speech fame during Obama’s election. So, I watched a few clips on his website about his ministry. He gave credit to Martin Luther King Jr. Who challenged the church in the 20^th century to be the Huddle Time, where we come to pray, to get the Word, to get directions, instructions, to lick our wounds, and then being sent out!

What gives us credibility, what makes us functional is what we do when we get out of these church doors. Recently I communicated with the Board, and will bring to you all – on Sabbath we come to celebrate. The work happens during the six days. So, if you’ve got issues to deal with, challenges to sort out – let’s do it on Monday, or Tuesday, or any other time. The Sabbath is our time for re-creation, for re-freshing, for re-shaping, re-fitting ourselves for the Kingdom game.

How we live our lives six days a week is what makes us Christians, not showing up in church on Sabbath.

Today as you come to this huddle, worship celebration, let God reveal to you what your calling is, and what His Game plan is for you for this next week!