Find refreshment for your heart, home and life
It was Sunday and the day had been unusually quiet. No crowds gathered in the church foyer. Instead we “gathered” in front of our computers or phone screens to watch the live service, via Zoom. The song service echoed and reverberated our voices as though we were shouting our praise over a wide canyon. Church members recognized others with a wave when their faces showed up, not in their pew, but in the little box on the screen.
My love-hate relationship with Walmart started after a couple of “bad experiences.” Irritable employees, obnoxious stock carts blocking the aisles, and a failure to meet what I thought they should do for their customers led me to constantly be frustrated when I endeavored to shop! Each time I went it was almost as though I went looking for the irritants that just didn’t meet my standard for a pleasant shopping experience. Guess what? When I went looking for those things, I always found them! I’d point the accusing finger and say,
“See?!!! There they are doing it again!!!”
All this eventually caused me to leave Walmart for good and find another grocery store where I could shop and love it!
My grocery shopping experience/expectations can be a good illustration for our churches, too. Continue reading “What Are You Looking For At Church?”
Uncharacteristic as it is for my Monday posts, I’m just going to do a recap of some of Easter’s highlights. Since it’s my favorite holiday, I’m going to continue to let my thoughts dwell on the great time we had celebrating Resurrection Day! Continue reading “Easter Reflections”
Sunday afternoon my husband came into the room where I was seated and handed me the Parade Magazine from the Sunday paper.
“Here’s the invention that will answer many church go-er’s prayers!”
It was this…
It’s a WiFi-Enabled Slow Cooker! Now if you’re in church and the preacher is going a little longer than you’d anticipated and the pot roast you put in the crock pot is going to be ruined, you can change the setting or stop the cooking process to ensure you will not be having a burnt sacrifice for Sunday dinner!
“We’re living in the day of the Jetson’s, Hon!” my husband touted as he made his way out of the room.
It’s unbelievable, isn’t it when you think about all the things technology can do?! A camera in the fridge can let me know if I need more milk. Alexa, is ready at our beck and call to turn on the coffee maker, adjust the heat in the house, update us on the weather, or play a game of Twenty Questions! The robotic vacuum keeps the house clean, and any number of apps on our phones can handle every other detail of our lives!
Well, almost…
Since I’d had the stomach flu over the weekend, I missed church on Sunday. But again, due to the blessing of technology, I could “sit in” on our live-streamed service via Facebook! I had my Bible, notebook, and cup of hot tea all set while I sat comfortably in a chair in my bedroom. I got to listen to the sermon, and almost felt as though I was right there, except there was one huge piece of the picture that was missing –
I was alone. I could pray when they prayed, and even say, “amen,” and listen while my husband preached, but
Technology might bring the church service to me, but technology can never replace the Church. In fact, nothing can. It’s God’s tool in this dispensation for accomplishing His redemptive work!
We miss so much when we’re not there. For many that can’t attend church due to chronic illness, this is a great blessing, and I’m thankful that genius people can provide such a tool for them. But I also know this – When I am able to go, I need to take advantage of it. I need my Church and it needs me.
Technology can never replace my church!
Are you plugged into a local body where you can grow, be discipled, use your gifts, serve, encourage, pray and bless others? If you’re a believer, it’s your blessing to enjoy all that and more!
Lovingly,
I love teaching children the Bible! What a privilege! Today we have awesome resources available to help equip us! I have access to many children’s books, curriculum and web sites. Even Pinterest has thousands of ideas for stories and crafts so we can teach our children the Bible. But if there’s one thing that saddens me, almost to the point of nauseousness, is when authors turn a Bible story character into the hero of the story.
For two days on my blog , I’ve shared about studying Mark 1:30,31 where Jesus heals Simon Peter’s Mother-in-law. I’ve pondered it for many hours, wondering the best approach to teach it to the children. I asked myself, Who is the hero in this story?
I trust it’s so obvious to you that Jesus is the hero! But one site I looked at said,
“Simon Peter’s mother-in-law is today’s hero, because she showed us the gift of health.
No! No! No! This lesson isn’t about health any more than the story of Naaman is about taking a bath! Nor should the emphasis be placed on being kind to our mothers-in-law! The important truth in any story of the Bible is Jesus. He is always the Hero of the story!
I encourage you as moms, grandma’s or teachers of children not to weaken the Bible lessons by giving it some kind of humanistic point, rather than allowing the child to see Christ! To do that is to skip the reason God gave us His Word.
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:31
Let’s point to the real message in every story, and make our children know that Jesus is the Hero of the Bible!!
What Bible lessons do you think are easiest to miss the point of Christ being the hero?
RefreshHer 