Just keep asking…

06 Nov Just keep asking…

Happy Tuesday y’all!

I don’t know about you but my week has jumped off to a GREAT start!

FIRST…it was absolutely thrilling to be back among you in worship on Sunday. No matter where else I visit, worship among you is home. And I was delighted to share that again here.

THEN…the Picnic was awesome! Great food! Great time to just sit under the trees at the Botanic Gardens & chat! Fun Trivia game and great prizes! (Well Done! Liz & thank you Helen, Phil & Sandra for stepping in to help)

THEN…I learned something new…more on that in a minute!

Now…the rest of the week is all lined up…

1. Zoom Bible Study Catch-up (Proverbs 22:1-9 & Luke 21:1-4)
   Friday 8th November 2024 @ 1:00 p.m.
   Join Zoom Meeting  —  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83006349720  —  Meeting ID: 830 0634 9720
2. Ladies Fellowship End-of-Year Dinner @ Magpie’s Nest – make sure Pam & Mary have your RSVP! (Thursday the 14^th)
3. Living Water Prayer Morning

Saturday 16^th November 2024 @ 10:00 a.m. At Paul & Philippa’s place

4. I’ve already mentioned we’re starting to plan for Christmas…yes I know…It’s only November…but…

Christmas Eve is Tuesday, 24th December – Worship will most likely be at 7:00 p.m. Ask Liz or Philippa how you can help out! We really need a musician to lead the carols!!!!

Christmas Day is Wednesday, 25th December – Worship will most likely be at 9:00 a.m. A few more hands here too would be great! Talk to Liz and Philippa.

5. Let’s talk 2025…

• I’d like us to pray ourselves into the new year. The last Sunday of 2024 is 29^th December & the first Sunday of 2025 is 5^th January…if you’re around between those two Sundays, I’m wondering if a few of us can get together to pray for all that God has given us in 2024 & to be ready to receive & share his gifts in 2025. I’d like us to start a pattern of praying ourselves into each new season. Talk to me and we’ll work something out.
• UnEarthed: Uncovering stories of Faith in Australia – Thursday 27th February 2025 This citywide multi-church evangelism event will be a FREE event for you, your families, and friends held at the Range Function Centre. Please note that date! This is going to be HUGE for our city as many of the churches are finally working together to see Christ’s kingdom reach wider than any individual church can stretch. It’s going to include Karl Faase, Colin Buchanan (and his adult country repertoire) and special guests from the Faith Runs Deep documentary interview series. All-Australian stories of faith in Christ from the length & breadth of this sunburnt country…the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit.

Now about that “new” something I learned. I was shopping on Monday & in the veggie section saw a sign that read, “Green Asparagus” for somesuch $ per bunch. Immediately I thought the computer had made a mistake, I’ve never seen an asparagus any other colour than green. I had a bit of a giggle to myself…BUT…I did ask one of the women stocking the veggie shelves about it & learned that there ARE other colours of asparagus, but where I was didn’t sell them. So…internet do your stuff! There are “white” asparagus. Grown as a delicacy it seems in Germany. I don’t understand how, but they are grown & harvested before the chlorophyll has time to form properly (they seem to be grown in the dark?) So there! What I thought was a mistake, turns out to have been right all along, if perhaps unnecessary in this context…because there was no other choice but green there.

What’s so special about that? Well…I often wonder if we lose our sense of adventure in the Bible because we think we’ve seen it all before or have heard (or written) dozens of sermons about a particular text so sometimes we approach the Bible with one eye closed and only partial hearing…because we’re not sure we’ll hear or see anything new. I reckon that’s dangerous…I re-read Jeremiah again over the last few weeks & came across this: “For it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets that wickedness has filled the land.” – Jer 23:15b. It struck me like lightning…when the church fails to take seriously God’s Word…obey it…live it…share it…the whole community suffers. When we fail to read & ask God to open our minds & hearts to his word, anew for this moment, we miss out AND SO DOES the world around us. So…just keep asking questions of the Scriptures. Just keep reading larger & larger sections over and over again. Just keep looking, listening, & waiting for something to spark your heart to wonder, worship & deeper discipleship. We can’t let “wickedness spread” any farther than it already has because we fail to do what we’ve been commissioned to do.

See you somewhere along the way!

Peace

John