“However when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth.”
I read an interesting little bit about cell phones and radiation. Its seems, while the studies are not conclusive, cell phone use has been linked to increased levels of both brain and mouth cancer (click here to read the article). Of course the key is the studies are inconclusive, but it reminded me of how studies began coming about another addiction that no one considered and everyone used… of course I am talking about tobacco… of course brain cancer won’t be the real sign, when everyone starts getting thumb cancer, then we will know cell phones are destructive!
We know that cell phones are radiating, the question is whether the waves are good or bad. Of course it could just be information, conversations, that are being radiated. Which is great and why we have phones. But it could also be radiating waves that destroy our cells… It is the same way with Christianity. We are certainly radiating, effecting those around us, the question becomes is our effect good or bad…
A second article I read centered David and Goliath (it actually began with an article on the poor Royals…). While I am about to give a summary, the article is definitely worth the time to read, so click here (Seriously, it is one of the best things I have read in awhile!). But the synopsis centers on a young basketball team. They were made up of mainly new players and coached by dad who had never played basketball. He had grown up around soccer and was startled that the teams generally contested only half of the court. Occasionally they would full court press, but even then most of the players would retreat back to the basket. What he quickly realized is that this style of play actually helped teams who knew how to play the game, players who could effectively pass and especially shot. His new girls had no shot with this strategy, so he changed the way they played…
The article continues to discuss David and Goliath. David did not play the game, he refused Saul’s armor and instead played to his strength. Then the article looked at wars of the past few hundred years, comparing wars where one side was over matched by at least ten times. In general “David” lost, but the percentages are not what you might expect with “Goliath” winning only 71 percent of the time (hence losing 29%). But then author looked at times when “David” refused to fight the typically type of warfare. In these instances where “David” played to their own strengths, rather than the strengths of “Goliath”, “David” won 63.6% of the time…
Coming back to the girls basketball team, while the girls did not how to play basketball, they were all athletic and runners. So the coach designed a style that challenged the whole court. Defense did not retreat to the other basket but attacked no matter where the ball was on the court. In this way the girls rose from clueless to nationals…
As Christians we often get catch up in the world game. We want to create worship service that is big and beautiful, whether with a huge organ or huge screen. With flash and talent. Something that world will see and be impressed by… but this is not our strength. When we try to be cool and exciting we become David wearing Sauls armor. We are cut down easily.
Instead when we do not worry about appearances or what other will say, we find the of smooth stones to place in our sling. When we love our neighbor, not just the rich or beautiful one, but the neighbor no one else will talk with. When we refuse to cheat. When we obey our parents. When stop worry about OUR rights… in this way we step boldly forward and find that the elusive victory is ours.
On Sunday the electric power went out, but Mike Toomey kept on signing (as they did in the Traditional). The gym was dark and without mics we could barely hear him or his acoustic guitar. Yet the worship was powerful and exciting. It was the opposite of what the world tells us we need, but with our voices raised high it was a beautiful moment.
The church will move forward. But it will not move because of technology or creativity. Instead it will move on the shoulders of individuals who embrace being the boy David. Overcoming the fear of everyone else hiding inside and boldly going out. Carrying no money, holding no wisdom, but bearing the mark of Christ… the mark of self-sacrifice and the message of grace and truth come down.
PLUNGE47 