ALL IN . . . . . Elsewhere, Here and Everywhere

Our sermon series at church right now is “All In” – people like Jim Elliot and his companions; people like brave young men on D-Day in 1944 -- people who gave everything, especially those for the cause of Christ.

 I admit that before he mentioned those folks I was thinking about myself and my church family, and  thinking how we’re pretty much all in” in some way.  But when you think of the sacrifice those persons made, well, I am only “part way in” !

Another message I heard recently out at Camp Wi-Ne-Ma was how our church family can be more “all in” – somewhat more figuratively that I’ve ever considered before.  Read on  --

“We didn’t like the stream that was flowing by the front door of the church. The water was murky and muddy and there were chunks of stuff floating in it.  So, we created our own streams up behind the church.  Interestingly enough, although the water is a bit cleaner and we can see the bottom most of the time, the streams run parallel with each other.”   (Rick Rusaw)

Am I only stepping into the stream that’s flowing behind the church?  Or am I willing to step into the stream that’s flowing right in front – where all of life’s “chunks” and “stuff” are floating?  Am I even spending some time there . . . .  I think I have (as I’m currently available) as I spend time in a flowing stream that’s called Haiti.  But I think there’s a stream right here in my town that needs attention.  It needs the attention of NCC and our church family there.  NCC already has quite a lot of folks stepping into the stream called “Newberg” and I know that pleases the Lord.  It’s exciting to be a part of that “wading”!  It’s exciting to hope that many of us at NCC will “wade” even more into that stream.

And these this last week we heard about availability. 

     How much time do we spend in reaching out to others? 

     How much time should be spent?  Are we making ourselves available to others? 

     Do we “Seize the Day” – make our life extraordinary?    

 

Our pastor told us to not sit there and do nothing – but do SOMETHING!  He apologized for getting worked up – I feel like I need to tell him “Don’t apologize for that”!   Feel free to Kick us in the

Kick Starter – as he said “we may not be able to pierce the darkness, but we can definitely shed light”!

I’m ready to shed some light while I’m out the wading the in “stream” – who’s with me ????