What happens when…

06 Aug What happens when…

Blessed Friday y’all!

I don’t know about you, but the latest news from around our state & the neighbouring states & territory hasn’t been real encouraging.

It seems we’re going to be enduring the varied restrictions on our behaviour & limitations on our freedom for a good bit longer. I ran into an older acquaintance in the barber shop this morning…he figures we all look like we’re about to rob a bank in our masks. I told him to leave the NAB alone because I’ve got my money there. The other guys in line must have thought we were nuts.

So you know the drill…We’re actually getting pretty good at this…It’s not how life is supposed to be, but it is what we have right now.

1. About 45 total in worship…39 in the main space & about 6 in the kitchen. Pray for good weather & another 7-10 outside on the verandah. Actually, with the plastic sheets up & heater going I’m told it’s so comfortable out there I might start preaching from the balcony. 😉 Just come, we’ll make the numbers work.
2. GBO and Morning tea are on the 15^th of August. August is when we support global mission through Interserve. This week we’ll remember to pass the offering plate again right after the Faith Chat, so you can either hit the box on the way in the door or when it comes around.

 

I re-read part of 2 Chronicles this week…just thought I remembered something & went to check it out.

2 Chronicles 29-31 give a glimpse of King Hezekiah, king of Judah.

29:2 reads, “He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done.”

Hezekiah was a good king…blessed few of those back then, but he was one of the good ones.

Chapters 30-31 detail how Hezekiah led his nation in a spiritual revival. He re-opened the Temple after bad kings had closed it, and brought his nation together in a massive celebration of the Passover. In fact, it lasted twice as long as it was scheduled because the people really worshiped and offered themselves to God & gave huge sacrificial offerings. Imagine a service that lasts for two weeks!

But then something awesome happens: “When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes.” – 31:1-2

Think about that for a minute. When worship ended, the people destroyed all the pagan worship paraphernalia in the country. Every symbol of pagan devotion smashed. Everything opposed to Yahweh crushed to dust. Only after they cleared the land of pagan religious stuff did they go home.

Now I don’t advocate that exactly…but I wonder what you do when you leave worship. What happens when you head away from the Guide Hall on Sundays? What impact does worship have on you that is equally convicting & convincing and causes you to leave evidence of your faith in your wake.

If nothing happens…did anything happen?

If the proclamation of the gospel & the meal of Christ’s resurrection don’t cause something to happen, what happened?

 

I’m going to be praying about that this week…hope you will too & that something happens.

 

See you Sunday!

John