As I travel from church to church, I hear a common lament. The details are different but the refrain is the same.
"If only..."
Sometimes the phrase culminates with longings for a younger congregation. Other times it concludes with musings of a different style of worship. Other times it ends with harsh judgments of the people that aren't participating in their church. Still others grieve the loss of generations of their own that have left for greener pastures.
"If only..."
But what if we took the creative cooking thoughts expressed in an earlier blog (Creating a Masterpiece) and applied them to the plight of the church? What if the local church looked around the "kitchen" and made a masterpiece out of what they found?
God has, in His almighty providence, allowed each church to remain open. Therefore, it seems clear that for each church God has a kingdom purpose in mind. And, with God's help the church has within itself all it needs to complete that task.
However, success requires a fresh assessment of the church's current reality! The church must remove its fixation from what is missing and begin to number its assets. These assets are the ingredients of a masterpiece! Then, the church must take these God-given ingredients and get cooking!
A creative masterpiece is waiting! A masterpiece that will bring wonderful glory to God.
Let's get cooking!
Lon
2Corinthians 12:9-10
But [Lord] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Creating a Masterpiece
Here's another odd part of my personality. When I have sufficient time, I really enjoy creating meals out of whatever I can find in the kitchen. I enjoy the creative process of taking what is there and making it into something edible. I jokingly refer to these concoctions as masterpieces!
The goal of my creative endeavor is to make something to eat. The challenge is to make something edible out of the ingredients available to me in the house at that time. This isn't about running to the store for groceries or planning the menu in advance. It's simply using what is available to accomplish the goal.
What if we applied this to our walk as followers of Jesus?
Jesus said, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:8)
If we are disciples of Jesus, then we will "bear much fruit" for the purpose of God receiving glory. In other words, the goal of our discipleship is to glorify the name of God, the Father, through the "fruit we bear" in Christ.
What then are the ingredients for achieving this goal? I propose that we creatively use whatever we find in the "kitchen".
Paul wrote, "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (Philippians 4:11)
The ingredients for the masterpieces we are creating are found in every circumstance, person, difficulty, and joy that we face today. Our masterpiece depends upon our willingness to take what we find and do something creatively with it with the goal of bringing God glory!
This isn't about wishing things were different. Rather, it's about taking what God places in our path and creating a masterpiece for His glory!
Get creative!
Lon
The goal of my creative endeavor is to make something to eat. The challenge is to make something edible out of the ingredients available to me in the house at that time. This isn't about running to the store for groceries or planning the menu in advance. It's simply using what is available to accomplish the goal.
What if we applied this to our walk as followers of Jesus?
Jesus said, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:8)
If we are disciples of Jesus, then we will "bear much fruit" for the purpose of God receiving glory. In other words, the goal of our discipleship is to glorify the name of God, the Father, through the "fruit we bear" in Christ.
What then are the ingredients for achieving this goal? I propose that we creatively use whatever we find in the "kitchen".
Paul wrote, "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (Philippians 4:11)
The ingredients for the masterpieces we are creating are found in every circumstance, person, difficulty, and joy that we face today. Our masterpiece depends upon our willingness to take what we find and do something creatively with it with the goal of bringing God glory!
This isn't about wishing things were different. Rather, it's about taking what God places in our path and creating a masterpiece for His glory!
Get creative!
Lon
Friday, September 19, 2008
Response to "Intentionality", by Jarvis
Jarvis posted this great comment in response to yesterday's post (Intentionality). I hope you are encouraged by his thoughts. - Lon
We are told the Holy Spirit is our Counselor. What need is there for a counselor, if we have nothing to consider, nothing to plan, if we don't need wisdom for direction.
The first chapters of Genesis make the act of creation sound like the beginning of God's activity. However, He would have had eternity to plan every detail about our lives, the layout of the earth, what animals to create, etc., and how all of these details would co-exist, within man's free-will, and even once sin has entered the world. I believe if you look around you will realize there must have been some extensive planning involved. The bible also tells us that during all of this, Wisdom was there.
Having said all of that I know how you feel, Lon. Honestly at times I have thought, "What's the point? He's going to have His way anyway, right?" Yes, but, I believe the creation story also teaches us something else here. God wants us to [participate] in not just the process, but the experience. Too many people are just going through the process; that sounds so cold, and lifeless. "Life," someone said, "is not a problem to be figured out, but an experience to be lived" (loosely translated). Are there things to be figured out? Absolutely! But, that's not the point. You don't get a prize for figuring it all out. I don't have to be MacGuyver and rescue myself from this life with a piece of duct tape, some chewing gum, a ball point pen, and my Swiss Army knife.
I believe the opportunity (I didn't say 'task') we have been given to plan is part of this life experience God wants to share with us, and be a part of, because it is also something He Himself does and wants to share that wonder, that creativity, and joy in creating something. The next time you have to plan something out, remember that is an opportunity and ability given to you by God, for your enjoyment. I think we fail to understand all of the experiences available to us when we sit back and don't exercise our ability to plan and create. God certainly would like to be a part of this experience with you, but I fail to see in scripture where He has declared our plans to be a joke, or not worth conceiving. At least that's not the Father I have come know. My experience has been and still is of a father who loves to be with and encourage his children when they play on the floor with their building blocks. As a natural father I derived so much joy doing that with my daughter. In some small way that helps me understand how mu joy God takes in doing the same with us throughout my life.
We are told the Holy Spirit is our Counselor. What need is there for a counselor, if we have nothing to consider, nothing to plan, if we don't need wisdom for direction.
The first chapters of Genesis make the act of creation sound like the beginning of God's activity. However, He would have had eternity to plan every detail about our lives, the layout of the earth, what animals to create, etc., and how all of these details would co-exist, within man's free-will, and even once sin has entered the world. I believe if you look around you will realize there must have been some extensive planning involved. The bible also tells us that during all of this, Wisdom was there.
Having said all of that I know how you feel, Lon. Honestly at times I have thought, "What's the point? He's going to have His way anyway, right?" Yes, but, I believe the creation story also teaches us something else here. God wants us to [participate] in not just the process, but the experience. Too many people are just going through the process; that sounds so cold, and lifeless. "Life," someone said, "is not a problem to be figured out, but an experience to be lived" (loosely translated). Are there things to be figured out? Absolutely! But, that's not the point. You don't get a prize for figuring it all out. I don't have to be MacGuyver and rescue myself from this life with a piece of duct tape, some chewing gum, a ball point pen, and my Swiss Army knife.
I believe the opportunity (I didn't say 'task') we have been given to plan is part of this life experience God wants to share with us, and be a part of, because it is also something He Himself does and wants to share that wonder, that creativity, and joy in creating something. The next time you have to plan something out, remember that is an opportunity and ability given to you by God, for your enjoyment. I think we fail to understand all of the experiences available to us when we sit back and don't exercise our ability to plan and create. God certainly would like to be a part of this experience with you, but I fail to see in scripture where He has declared our plans to be a joke, or not worth conceiving. At least that's not the Father I have come know. My experience has been and still is of a father who loves to be with and encourage his children when they play on the floor with their building blocks. As a natural father I derived so much joy doing that with my daughter. In some small way that helps me understand how mu joy God takes in doing the same with us throughout my life.
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