Lessons from a group of Dutch young people

They came, they saw they conquered. 

We had a group of 12 amazing people visiting us from Holland to serve our community. This was part of their tour of the South East of England where they visited churches and through the church would meet people on estates and kids in schools and youth groups. They served in old people homes and met in a Cathedral - an impressive tour.

The last day and a half they spend with us here in Eastbourne. I had some big jobs lined up for them, thinking this would look good for them and for us as a community church, to DO stuff for those who are struggling to do things themselves (or at least get things done faster as there are 12 of them). I was focused on works, on having a result at the end of the day - be it a stripped room, a cleared garden, a school visited or several trips to the dump with our trailer. Nothing wrong with that - or so I thought.

What I had not planned or even given any thought to was the fact that these young people touched lives, beyond the work they did. Now that they have left us people are no longer talking about the jobs they did, they are talking about how lovely they are, how servant hearted, how fun, how easy going. These are all about character. they gave others hope, because of who they ARE. They served out of their character, they mingled, they left a legacy, because of who they ARE, not so much because of what they DID. (although the families that had the pleasure of them helping them are ever grateful)

The lesson I learned? Work on your character, what you do will be ok - but your character, who you are, is far more important. As the Bible tells me, Character produces HOPE and HOPE does not put us to shame ... go forth and build, grow and show character.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bridge2England/380750071978236

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg5febR7-7o

Lessons from a baptism ...

Yesterday (18/03) we had another glorious baptism occasion where three people made their faith very public by taking a massive bath (don't worry, they were all dressed). One of them is a guy who works as a green keeper at a golf course. Whilst he was being dunked, I got this picture of an immaculate golf course, properly trimmed, luscious green fairways, fine combed bunkers, it had it all. Next thing I know, loads of golfers come and walk all over the immaculate greens, all dressed in their own silly ways. The caddies struggling with the load of clubs - all making their way from tee-off to tee-off. Whilst playing their game, some hacked into the lawns (by accident or out of sheer frustration) others trod with slightly spiked footwear. What a waste of all that hard work to make it look so amazingly green, luscious and appealing to the eye.

Upon further thought, I realised that these club wielding people were, one way or another, enjoying themselves. The occasional cheer, the frequent waving of the club in one hand, the sporadic jump of joy, all indicated to me that these golfers did to the lawn what they did, because they loved being there, doing what they did.

Often in life, I find myself more concerned with the hard work I have put into something/someone - that I become more fixated with the input than with the enjoyment others receive through that hard work. Often I moan (to myself) that all the hours of creativity, labour and occasional sweat is all for nothing as others just 'trash' that work. But now I might just have to see it as the greens, the fairways and even the landscaped rough areas and bunkers - all for the enjoyment of others. Maybe it doesn't mean a thing to you, but I learned something here.

Lessons from a Newspaper article

"For at its best, Christianity is one of the world's most humane and tender of religions and deserves a better class of worshipper than many of those who lay claim to it." (Yasmin Alibhai - The Independent)

I first became aware of this great article through a friend posting a link on Facebook. I wanted to press the 'like' button, but there wasn't one. As I devoured the words Yasmin so eloquently put down, I kept looking for the 'like' button, as it is a well written article indeed. The longer the article went on, the more frustrated I got for not having a blessed 'like' button to click on (several times over).

Than it dawned on me ... is that all I do in my faith, just clicking a 'like' button, subscribing to a sermon or two, a few get -togethers with like minded people, utter the odd prayer, read the good book in times of need ... does the Jesus I profess to be my friend, saviour and king not deserve a better act of worship. I realised that in my faith, there isn't the option either to just click the 'like' button or leave a few comments here and there. My faith has to be a 24/7 type thing, otherwise it doesn't truly work. 

So here's to 2012, a year to have a more active faith, a faith that makes others sit up and take notice, a faith that makes an impact - as Yasmin (a Muslim herself) said near the end of her article, to  remind people of Christ who came to save them, a child born to asylum-seekers, the poor, helpless and "alien": all those embraced by Jesus Christ in His time. Wow, another lesson learned, all through a newspaper and the lack of a 'like' button. Wondering what lessons await me in the next year ...