Just another manic.....

Okay, so I wasn't sure who might be reading this blog and if I would get in trouble for saying "manic Monday" in my title....so to avoid any unnecessary lawsuits for a Bangle or two that might frequent my blog, I just left the title drift out...

Um. Not sure why I felt the need to share that with you. I have been a little blah all day--and am thinking that my "dessert" coffee is kicking in and I am on a caffeine high :) (although it was probably de-caf and it is just my imagination making me giddy) But I digress....

It was a pretty good weekend. Friday night it was so nice to visit with Brother Bob. He looks great and not much different from last August when we were there. I can't believe that it was already almost a year ago that we were visiting him. It seems so long ago. Saturday was a full day with baseball, a quick swim in between games, our Biggest Loser Challenge and then a picnic at Roberta Park. Sunday was church, some exercise and the afternoon at my parent's pool. Today was non-stop at work. Our day camps start in two weeks, with training starting next week so this week is going to be totally bala bala (spanish slang for crazy, loony, nuts, harey carey) Tonight was a really wonderful appreciation evening that Laurie and Roberta planned for the Women 2day staff and coordinators. I have some pics to download later and can share more then...

What I really want to talk about though is Saturday. Some of you know that I've been occasionally attending and Marlon and I are helping our friend Pastor Jerome with his new church, New Beginnings. Here is the tagline for the church:

where the unloved are loved, the unwanted are needed,
and the lonely have friends.

Now if you know me at all, you know that is my heart...so I love being able to spend time with Pastor Jerome, his wife and their growing congregation. The Lord has placed it on his heart to help turn around some parks in Waukesha. His idea is to bring the church to the parks that the city has determined to be "problematic". So Saturday was the first of these days.
The body of Christ that just happen to attend New Beginnings Church (and some like me who just occasionally attend) showed up at Roberta park with grills, food to feed an army, games, music and love. No organized agenda, no committee to pull it off, no set up and clean up crew...didn't need any of that. The spirit was so alive at that park that every detail was taken care of and then some without even having to give it a second thought. The best part of the afternoon for me was looking around and not being able to tell from sight who were the "church" folk and who had already been hanging out in the park when we arrived. That park is always full of people on the weekend and the cops are called there often. There's even been talk of shutting it down and removing the basketball courts because of the problems there. Not this past Saturday.
Now I know some of my friends and maybe some of you reading this would have have these questions to ask... What was the purpose and anticipated outcome of the event? What is the planned follow up? How many souls were saved for Christ that day? What measurable impact occurred that day?
Please do not get my wrong by my next comments. I work at a church...I have been on committees for events...I know that these are valid questions that can be brought up at planning meetings and part of prep discussions. But....
On May 31....for a few hours....we threw all of that out the window. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, laughs, just living. To be honest, I think the "church" spends too much time worrying about those things. My "agenda" each day is to live and breathe Jesus. Souls are not mine to save...so there is no reason for me to keep track of that. Impact often isn't seen or felt for days...weeks...even years after it's made so how do you measure that? If I am respresenting Christ in all I do and say...to the best of my ability...and being real and authentic about my struggles and the work He continues to do in me...then He is going to take care of the rest. His light will shine through me. His love will flow from me. His grace and mercy will cover those around me.
How and when did that come about? The shift that made church and ministry more about the outcomes and the polished look of the event than the people and the realness of who Jesus is. As I read Acts I don't see a lot of scripture dedicated to who had the best potluck dish....the competition of who led the most people to Christ....the gold medal for whose life was most transformed after attending a church service.

May I never be so complacent in my faith that I take the gift of my salvation for granted. May I never grow so proud that I think that He needs me to carry out His will. May I never feel so jaded that I forget who He wants me to reach. May I always see people the way He sees them.

So anyway. Saturday was great. And I have no clue what God is going to do with it next.