Get going, church

The writer says, "I cry out to you, Lord. You are my rock; don't refuse to hear me. If you wasn't talk to me, I'll be just like those going down to the pit. Listen to my request for mercy when I cry out to you, when I lift up my hands to your holy inner sanctuary."

Here's the hearing ... Help me.

Ever been there? Ever been so, uh, worn that you just lifted your voice to the sky, a sky that won't even thunder, and you've simply said, "help me."

Yeah. Me neither. RIIIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTTT.

Of course we have.

That's life, too. Just walking when you want to sit. Taking step after step when you'd just as soon be in bed with the covers and several pillows pulled over you. Hiding out. 

But that's not how life finds us, or leaves us. No, God pulls back the covers and there we go. Living. Reaching. Going. Don't stop, friends. Keep thinking about those around you. Be changed by a perfect God who lived and died to give you new life, that didn't include time under the covers.

In fact, the best part of all that is when we get up, clean up, start up we're the best messengers for the world that needs the best message of all.

Jesus said a couple things that are necessary to discuss right now.

He said the Holy Spirit was on him because the Lord has anointed him. He said God sent him to  preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed. Then he told his disciples they would do greater works than he.

Throw those in a pot, make a roux (look it up you non-Louisiana folks) and what you get is the beginning of getting rid of "help me" to the beginning of "help them."

Once we make that turn, our salvation begins to make sense. God's grace begins to cover all. And we can throw the covers off and head out to a brand new day, sunny or not.

Lift up your hands, church. Lift up your lives, bride of Jesus. Lift up your hearts, children of God.

We have the power of the universe resting in us. Time for a little exercise.

I've been reading plenty about re-starting churches lately. For example, I read that a vision of the church should be something the church can live into. It doesn't necessarily have to have it all figured out, but the vision should be flexible enough so that it can be lived into.

In other words, we are all becoming.

Which takes time to go out and be...lift up your minds, church.

Next week I'll be blogging, if I get a chance, from a church and community planning session in New Orleans, La. I hope to expand on these ideas.

Till then, 

Help me, O Lord.