SATURDAY SERENDIPITY

PART ONE:

I have been surfing the blogosphere.

WOW! What a concept!

Anyway, among the posts I have read have been some (not entirely wrongly) critical of the "organized" church and bemoaning personal disillusionment therewith.

Well, disillusionment is what happens when one's focus in on the corporation and not on the CEO.

Christ died for the church (ekklesia - that which is called out), not the church building, church location, church organization, church polity, or any other aspect of the corporate church, the CHURCH, ie: the people who have come into relationship with God through Christ.

(Yeah, yeah...I know He died for all sin, in all people, everywhere...but here I am talking about the church. Cheese...try to stay focused!)

Now anybody who has read God's Word knows beyond any doubt that He is well organized. Witness the very universe itself, His book of Nehemiah and the re-building of the wall, His instructions as to the lay-out of the temple, or the tents of Israel outlined in Numbers 2.

But Christ did not die for the organization.

He died for me.

And for you, by the way.

He is to be our focus.

Period.

Otherwise, we are doomed to think negatively about that entity we call the church, with its false-starts, foibles and rank stupidity.

When I learned to look at each face in the congregation through the eyes of Christ as I led the worship, instead of in light of the various frailties represented therein, my worship leading became meaningful.

I like meaningful.


PART TWO:

Have you been thinking a lot about the United Nations lately?

I was sent the following and thought I would share it with you.

(It can be bought at www.imao.us I think. It's a T-shirt design).

TOP 10 U.N. SLOGANS

10. If an impotent, bloated buraucracy can't solve it, then it's best left festering.

9. You can't spell "unethical" without UN

8. Genocidal dictators, beware our non-binding resolutions.

7. Bringing peace to our world (actual results may vary).

6. Tomorrow's corruption today

5. Raising pointless squabbling to an art form.

4. We take bribes so you don't have to.

3. Try our world famous cheesy fries.

2. If troubles abound, we'll be nearby doing nothing.

1. If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial America.


PART THREE

There is no PART THREE.