Through trying to do the talk for Sunday evening on serving God I am reminded of a story by Mike Pilavachi.
This story talks about acts of kindness. An activity that is called different things in different places. It is also done by lots of different people, not just Christians. It involves doing simple things for people, picking up litter, giving someone your seat on a bus, little acts that show kindness.
So, Mike talked at one event. His talk involved people who, at toll booths, pay for themselves and also ask to pay for the person behind them in the queue. They don't then stop and tell the person what they did, they just drive off, knowing they have done something good for someone.
The story Mike told is of trying to do something himself. He has two different instances. One where he has his youth group in the bus and he pays. The person is very thankful, he allows them time to catch up and they give him the thumbs up and just make him feel good about himself.
The second time he does the same thing. Again, he pays and then slows the van down so the person can catch up and show appreciation. On this occassion, however, nothing happens. They do not express their thanks but instead drive off down the road.
It reminds me that serving God isn't about trying to get the thanks. Only serving because we know that someone will be grateful, someone will think we are fantastic people. Many people, those in churches and out of them serve God daily, not because they know they are going to get thanks but because they love God and that is how they can express it.
So, as youth workers, children's leaders, those who serve God in churches and those who serve him in numerous other places I encourage us all to remember that the love God surrounds us with is the reason we are doing it. We may never know the results of our service but we do know God loves us and that will never change.
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
I want to add some things about my thoughts on work and stuff, so here it is - my piece for the church magazine:
Newsletter Piece, Feb 2009
Normally I write in this newsletter about something that is coming up, something you might have to get involved in or even something that has already happened.
Well, this month is a little different. As many of you may know I am a film fan, I love watching films. Recently I was given some vouchers for the cinema. So last week I went to see “Slumdog Millionaire”. A fascinating film that lots of people have been talking about.
The film features a boy from the slums of India who is on the quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. He is accused of cheating in the quiz but through a series of flashbacks we realise that each question he is asked relates to a memorable moment or an event in his life. Some of these events are happy, some are sad and some events stay with him through his own feelings of guilt. However, no matter what the events are without them he wouldn’t be where he was in the quiz.
And, although a bit of a cheesy link, that’s what is like for us. Some of us will remember moments of joy, of sadness and even times of regret or guilt. It can be difficult as those attempting a “walk” with God not to remember these times, especially those when we did something we regret. However, without these moments we wouldn’t be the people we are, we wouldn’t be doing the things we are doing and we may not be on the walk with God at all.
In the Sunday Specials conversations about baptism seem to come up quite regularly, partly because out of the four specials we have had two have occurred on the same day as a baptism at church. In the New Year Sunday Special we were also talking about fresh starts and “new beginnings”.
That can be a certain time for us, a time when we recommit ourselves to God, not necessarily through a ceremony or a resolution (although we can do this) but maybe, just simply, through a prayer. Saying that no matter what has happened in the past we can have a new beginning with God, we can start afresh and follow him one day at a time.
At the end of the film, I’ll try not to spoil it, we see all the events come to a head but as usual with films we don’t find out what happens next (unless there is a sequel). And again it is the same in life. We don’t know what will happen next, we don’t know what good and bad events are still to come. But we have God to help us through them. He doesn’t judge us for what we have done instead He wants to chat with us, stay with us and experience the next events with us. He can be part of our future no matter what our past has been.
Maybe after reading this you will go and see “Slumdog Millionaire” or maybe you will make a fresh step, say a prayer or do something that God has been calling you to do. Whatever the thoughts I will leave you with this verse, one that I used to hear at every baptism when I was growing up, and one that reminds me what it is to be special to God.
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26
Newsletter Piece, Feb 2009
Normally I write in this newsletter about something that is coming up, something you might have to get involved in or even something that has already happened.
Well, this month is a little different. As many of you may know I am a film fan, I love watching films. Recently I was given some vouchers for the cinema. So last week I went to see “Slumdog Millionaire”. A fascinating film that lots of people have been talking about.
The film features a boy from the slums of India who is on the quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. He is accused of cheating in the quiz but through a series of flashbacks we realise that each question he is asked relates to a memorable moment or an event in his life. Some of these events are happy, some are sad and some events stay with him through his own feelings of guilt. However, no matter what the events are without them he wouldn’t be where he was in the quiz.
And, although a bit of a cheesy link, that’s what is like for us. Some of us will remember moments of joy, of sadness and even times of regret or guilt. It can be difficult as those attempting a “walk” with God not to remember these times, especially those when we did something we regret. However, without these moments we wouldn’t be the people we are, we wouldn’t be doing the things we are doing and we may not be on the walk with God at all.
In the Sunday Specials conversations about baptism seem to come up quite regularly, partly because out of the four specials we have had two have occurred on the same day as a baptism at church. In the New Year Sunday Special we were also talking about fresh starts and “new beginnings”.
That can be a certain time for us, a time when we recommit ourselves to God, not necessarily through a ceremony or a resolution (although we can do this) but maybe, just simply, through a prayer. Saying that no matter what has happened in the past we can have a new beginning with God, we can start afresh and follow him one day at a time.
At the end of the film, I’ll try not to spoil it, we see all the events come to a head but as usual with films we don’t find out what happens next (unless there is a sequel). And again it is the same in life. We don’t know what will happen next, we don’t know what good and bad events are still to come. But we have God to help us through them. He doesn’t judge us for what we have done instead He wants to chat with us, stay with us and experience the next events with us. He can be part of our future no matter what our past has been.
Maybe after reading this you will go and see “Slumdog Millionaire” or maybe you will make a fresh step, say a prayer or do something that God has been calling you to do. Whatever the thoughts I will leave you with this verse, one that I used to hear at every baptism when I was growing up, and one that reminds me what it is to be special to God.
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26
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