The Mystery

I was thinking this morning, and after reading that interview yesterday, that we do not see enough miracles today. [By we, I mean rich Westerners.] That's not to say God is not performing them. Oh, He most certainly is. I just mean we so often do not leave enough room for Him to do so.

There is a profound and inexplicable transformation that occurs after we begin to allow Christ to rule us, and I think it is under-appreciated and little recognized, even by ourselves. Why would anyone give up their sinful nature willingly, other than through the power of Christ? Why would anyone even recognize that their nature is sinful? Do we really look at ourselves and our fellow believers and acknowledge what Christ alone has done? I know I forget all the time.

And then there is the more familiar sort of miracle, the kind where your jar of rice just doesn't seem to go empty when you have no money but there are kids to feed; or when the sick are suddenly healed although they were on the brink.

All of these metamorphoses - from sinner to saint, from empty to full, from dying to living - surround us, and ought to be an integral part of our existence. Yet do we even allow them to happen? Or do we just go ahead and take care of everything ourselves?

We make all of these rules and laws to keep ourselves good, moral, safe, protected; but do we allow God to instead lead? Do we actually allow the Holy Spirit to move and guide us, so that God may work in the world and that others may see His glory and power?

Strife

Do you know what really bothers me? Disagreements. People arguing and fighting and being competitive. Maybe it's because my parents never fought. Maybe it's because I don't know how to have normal social interactions. Maybe I'm overly-sensitive (ah, that's it).

Anyway, I think everyone should get along. Especially Christians. With Jesus and the Bible, why would we ever disagree? Unfortunately, we all seem to have trouble getting along. We argue over stupid, pointless things that have no bearing on the Eternal Kingdom.

Now as for me, I have the urge to rebel, to grasp onto the musings of the iconoclasts, to seek out the uncommon, new ideas that offend the status quo. I read liberal newspapers and magazines, I spurn politics, using it only as fodder for purely intellectual discussion (read: not arguing or debating), I wish I had more non-Christian friends, I love science and trust logic.

Unfortunately, so often while defending my viewpoint [Jesus is all that matters], I end up in one of these arguments I so dislike.

I've been praying lately about loving my fellow man and not disagreeing just because I feel like it. If I am led to correct, so be it; but I think that before I can rebuke and correct, I must first love.

Titus 3:9 - "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless."

What does this mean to me right now? Just because someone thinks something I don't like about something that doesn't matter, doesn't mean I need to speak up. Just keep my mouth shut, and looooove.

Romans 12:3-8

"...so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

I noticed a new trend among mega-churches last year, and it really bothered me:

Window decals and the branding of church buildings and congregations like some commodity. Some church initials and logo plastered right next to a picture of an apple, and suddenly the body of Christ has been transformed from a bunch of people to a building and its "members."

At some point, some churches decided it would be a good idea to advertise via the window sticker. Whether they wanted a piece of that prime real estate so often reserved for politicians and elementary school honor rolls, or they wanted to boost numbers, or it was under the assumption that it was a good witnessing tool, I'm not sure. But whatever the reason, I have to wonder what that looks like to others, especially non-believers.

To me, it appears that one church, one congregation, is putting itself forward. It's like the pinkie toe is saying, "Hey, check me out! I have a bookstore and a coffee shop and exciting worship!" and has forgotten that it's really a very small completely dependent part of a much larger body.

But going to the verse I quoted at the top, I think that as a part of one body, one Church, it makes more sense advertise the whole thing (if I'm going to advertise at all), and perhaps highlight the pointless nature of this branding. So my project will be to get as many bumper stickers/window decals from as many churches as possible and put them all over my husband's car. [No worries, he's a willing participant.]

Side note: I'm thinking of printing up the above decal, but adding a verse to it - maybe Romans 12, maybe 1 Corinthians 12, maybe something else. I'd like your thoughts on that front as well.