Tag: community

Posted in Uncategorized

Season’s Open!

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Season’s Open!

November, at least in the State of West Virginia, could be declared a State “Hunting Season Holiday” for the entire month and few would complain. Game hunting is one of the largest industries in the nation. In 2011 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which estimates that roughly 90 million citizens, or 38 percent of the population age 16 or older, spent an estimated $145 billion on wildlife activities in the U.S. last year. We’re serious hunters. Duck Dynasty has made millions off of the concept of hunting, beards and family; you can walk into a store just about anywhere, be it a convenience store or major retailer and find the faces of those crazy characters from the show.

Another hunting season opened November 1st for many; the “Gift Hunting Season.” Web traffic goes insane for the greatest find on the latest kind of what every trend happens to be on top. Toy catalogs are in the mail and lists are being made (many without limits) and retailers gear up for the Black Friday mayhem!

And then there’s the little publicized hunting season for “Necessities for the Needy.” There’s an abundant harvest of opportunity. The season is actually open all year, but it doesn’t seem to be noteworthy until about November. And then suddenly eyes (and wallets) are open and alert for the opportunity to score points on an unseen tally sheet. The season passes as quickly as it came and by January the season appeal has dwindled to just above no one.

I’m not a fan of enabling poverty by providing handouts to those who refuse to work. It’s not biblical. The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10~ For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. But… then there’s 1 Timothy 6:17-18 ~  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Life isn’t about the hunt, it’s about the release. It’s the willingness to allow God to work through that which you’ve been given. This is one post that has pierced my heart. Because I’m as guilty as the next to fail to recognize (communicate) and give (distribute) to a soul in need. A recent sacrificial giving in our church didn’t go un-noticed. A young woman who I know didn’t have it gave beyond her means and for no other reason than to be a part of the Lord’s work. I loved her before she gave, but after she gave, I felt her knit into our ministry as a vital part. That’s what giving does! There’s no buying your way into Heaven, please don’t misunderstand that. But there’s an investment in it. If you’re passionate about something, you invest in it (as our keynote speaker Donna Tallman) reminded us at our ladies retreat this weekend.

So… is this your season? A change of attitude and heart toward a mission that is soon to become your passion? I hope it’s mine. I’m shoppin’!

Posted in Uncategorized

Confessions of a Church Thief

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Confessions of a Church Thief

It’s absolutely true.

I was perusing the aisles.

I eyed every single one until that one caught my eye. The one I didn’t have.

Before anyone at Victory Baptist Church begins to wonder if it happened at our church, it didn’t. It didn’t even happen at church. It happened on Facebook for cryin’ out loud. I’m so ashamed! Okay maybe that was a bit dramatic… I’m not really ashamed, just embarrassed for my Lord. You see… I was perusing the aisles of another church coveting their membership. It was a certain person that I love and I just thought to myself, “Wow, I wish they’d come to our church.” And then I happened to think about the cost of them coming to our church. They’d have to leave theirs, there would possibly be hurt feelings; I know how it’s been when someone has left our church who I loved. So in affect, I’d be wishing heartache on another congregation of believers. And then the harshest reality of all hit me… if every church in our community did what we were supposed to be doing, evangelizing the area, they’d be no need to wish for what another church had.

Mark 16:15

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

William Chadwick’s book Stealing Sheep sums up well when he said “Jesus did not say, ‘Go into all the world and shift the sheep’ He also said a very wise thing when he said modern day churches were less about church growth and a little more about rearranging the ecclesiastical furniture. I almost laughed out loud when I read that, and then I thought, wow… that’s sad and true. Most church growth that we see does not come from seeing new souls saved for the Kingdom of God, but more about disgruntled or unchallenged church members who leave one church for another. Truth?

So what do we do about it? Well for starters, I can stop creeping on Facebook pages and start creeping up the hills and hollers of my community in search of creatures. Creatures? Maybe I should paraphrase that for clarity by saying “Creations.” Those who God created with purpose, who’s not only not fulfilling their potential for the cause of Christ, but are heading to Hell and will never know Him because we were too busy shifting sheep. This thought zinged my heart this morning. What about you?

I’m sending this out as a word of warning today to people in my path. I’m on a super sheep search. (say that three times fast). I’m looking for wild sheep! The ones that have never made it into anyone’s fold. This is my prayer… that God help them cross my path, help me to recognize them and then give me the boldness to ask, “Do you know my friend Jesus?”

No more thievin’. I’m turning over a new leaf.

Posted in Uncategorized

Smack Dab in the Middle!

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Smack Dab in the Middle!

alpha omega and me

Revelation 21:6

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Right smack dab in the middle, that’s where I want to be. Yesterday was another crazy day in life of the Jesus Chick. Early morning rising and then off to a new mission work that’s going on in our community (Eagle Ranch Mission and Revival Training Center). We spent the day with youth who sat outside in the cool of October and soaked up the gospel desiring their part of the middle. I left in the late afternoon to go back to the church to pass out candy and gospel tracks to community children in hopes that I could plant more than a seed of candy corn in their home.

I loved this thought today. God created the beginning and the end, but the middle is ours. God set a plan in action from day one with a designed end in His sight. It’s not ours to know the day or the hour of the end, just that it’s a done deal for which we need to be prepared for. Before I finish this writing the trumpet could sound. There’s an end to this story, but the middle… that’s now. That’s the awesome part!

That’s why I get up early, 4:30 a.m. (ish) sometimes earlier, sometimes later. I don’t want to miss the middle, and for me the middle starts early. That’s why I gave my Saturday to a new mission work, because being in the middle of something that could be life altering for someone is exciting stuff. It’s why Sunday mornings are a treat and I can’t wait to get to the house of the Lord. I’m hoping that in the middle of the message someone there will discover that fountain of the water of life, and I’ll get to watch them take their first drink.

Satan’s lie that serving Jesus is a chore has deprived so many Christians of their piece of the middle. It’s like eating the crust of an apple pie and leaving the gooey delicious cinnamon and sugar filled fruit in the bowl. How crazy is that? But that’s what Christians do when they fail to be in the middle of an active church.

It’s another crazy day in the life of the Jesus Chick. I’m up early, and preparing my heart for the services in the house of the Lord, afterwards I’m taking a group of youth to another service out of town called the Judgment House. I don’t say this to boast “look what I’m doing for Jesus!” I say this because I want you to understand how exciting it is to be in the middle and that you need to take every opportunity to be there.

The middle, it’s the awesome part. The end… woah baby! It’s going to be beyond awesome. Don’t miss out.

Posted in Church Unity

When I Grow Up I want to be a Sonflower

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on When I Grow Up I want to be a Sonflower

Ephesians 4:11-15 ~ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

This morning when I was creeping on somebody’s Facebook page that I didn’t even know (a friend of a friend) I found the sunflower picture. My immediate thought was, “Wow, that’s love.” My second thought was a question. “Why isn’t the church in love like that?”

The reason I creep is godly (most of the time). I like to see what’s going on in the lives of other Christians and their images generally tell a story a bout what’s important to them. I run across lots of family pictures and plenty of comedy! I occasionally run across some off color image that shouldn’t oughta be there on a Christian’s page (just sayin’) But mostly I run across pictures of people they love. So it has me thinking today, if God took a snapshot of the American Church today what would it look like? The body of believers is so fractured into denominations and then sects within the denomination, then clicks within the sects and Jiminy Cricket, God Himself probably doesn’t have enough film to take as many pictures as necessary because we can’t be included in that group because they don’t believe like us.

In the beginning of the New Testament Church it had already begun; the need for Paul to reign them in. Paul was trying to put the unity back in their communities. He wanted them to know Christ’s ideas (knowledge of the Son of God); he wanted them to un-know man’s ideas (be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men). He wanted them to grow up into a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Perfection doesn’t mean without sin, not until we come to Heaven will we know perfection. But we are made perfect through Christ in the unity of our faith in Him. Contrary to popular belief, when God pulls out His wallet of baby pictures, certain denominations are not on top, but there are some baby pictures. Crying, whimpering, selfish believers that don’t play well with others. Always tattling on the other believers to non-believers, telling them why they shouldn’t join so and so’s church rather than letting them see Jesus and deciding on their own. Paul tells them to grow up. Know what you believe and live it, stop creeping in other peoples churches, it’s messing up your own doctrine. I guess it was the Facebook of the day.

God has given us (in our church) where like believers are, our own preachers and teachers of the gospel for the work of the ministry. It’s time to get to work. That’s what people do when they grow up. They work. And we need to be edifying the body of Christ (that’s each other). I know it’s just an image, but when I look at the sunflowers faces I see the love of the artist that created it. It’s with that love that God created us to love one another. (But speaking the truth in love, may grow up). When I grow up I want to be a Sonflower and love people just like that.

Posted in Uncategorized

Are You Somebody to Anybody?

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Are You Somebody to Anybody?

Living in a small rural community has its pros and cons. For one thing everybody knows everyone, and everyone knows everything about everybody. There are busybodies and nobodies, and people who think they are somebodies. When something happens to somebody everybody talks about it and sometimes the truth isn’t even in the middle; but it made for interesting conversation on the porch on a Saturday night. And sometimes makes for interesting prayer requests on Sunday morning. That’s rural community in a nutshell. Everybody knows just enough about everything to be dangerous, but we’re still community, at least for now.

Rural community is at risk of becoming a victim of the global community. The information highway has opened portals to wild and exotic places that can make community look very routine. Families have lost focus of one another and smartphones having stolen their lives. Color me guilty. It wasn’t until I read an article, (yes it was online) about a recent murder in San Francisco, where multiple times prior to shooting and killing a young man, a video camera caught the murderer as he brandished and pointed his weapon at others on the train unnoticed. No one noticed until he fired a fatal shot.

John 2:1-10

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

So what does the wedding of Cana have to do with a murder on a train in San Francisco?

Family and Community.

Jesus and the disciples had been invited to the wedding for which Mary is keenly aware of the orchestration of the event. When the wine was running empty it was she who brought the news to Jesus. I have to wonder if she had not seen Him perform a miracle or two before. Surely He had practiced and she was His mother after all. Do you suppose? Anyway…back to my point. Jesus was all about the community. He was where they were. He wasn’t hold up in room somewhere.

He was among them.

He celebrated their victories, He came to their house for dinner, and He was at the festivals and fairs. Community was important to Him and it should be to us. Church is of great importance, but a family dinner or event has a place in our lives. And while we’re there the phones should be put away and our focus on those around us.

He was aware of them

His mother brought the need for wine to His attention and you get the feeling He scolded her somewhat when he said Woman, what have I to do with thee? I don’t get the feeling it was in anger but more as one of those conversations between Mother and Child, “Really Mom, you want me to do that here?” mine hour is not yet come. He wasn’t ready to divulge that He was Lord, but she knew. Perhaps she’d watched Him practice.

He was accountable for them

The wine may have seemed like a trivial thing, but it was important to the community. There could have possibly been shame on the bridegroom for not having prepared adequately for the event. Shame that they spoke about for months down the line, you know how small communities are. But Jesus took care of it. They’d be talking about this party for months to come but not for shame, for glory!

Jesus was all about community! I hope this weekend you’ll spare a little time for your community. Put the cell phone away, call a few friends, go to someone’s house for dinner or invite them into yours. Be among them, be aware of them, and make yourself accountable to see that small community lives on.

Posted in Uncategorized

Unity of Community

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Unity of Community
welcome home candle

I have lived in small communities for all but two years of my fifty years of life. And with little complaint… other than occasional inconvenience, lack of privacy and choices with regards to shopping. But overall the blessings of living in a small West Virginia community outweighs the city any day of the week for this girl. But one thing I’ve noticed as I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to travel to other places in the United States and across the sea is the church community is the same regardless of location, and where ever I’ve gone I’ve been home!

The word “community” is derived from the  communité which is derived from the Latin communitas (com, “with/together” + munus, “gift”).

The church community is ever on the decline in America because of lack of priority in families and a failure on the church to live in a manner that differs from the world, but it’s still the best thing going!  It’s a gift indeed to walk into a congregation of people that you’ve never met before and within five minutes feel like you’ve been there a life time.

Philippians 2:1-5 ~ If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Paul wrote to the Philippian Church with a few small, cost free requests. Get along. Help each other out. Have mercy. Perhaps that’s a part of the reason the church is on the decline we’ve stopped taking the time to live out Paul’s instructions.

To follow Paul’s example you must first be “in Christ”, having accepted His salvation and having the Holy Spirit dwell inside of you. That is how those people that I had never met before felt like old friends. Because the Spirit of Christ within us bore witness to one another. It’s an exciting thing! It was to Christian friends that Paul speaks to and I in turn am sharing his message in hopes of seeing at work in our churches today the unity of the community of believers. There were three things Paul mentioned that was necessary for unity.

  • Consolation – relief or support. A feeling of hope! The gospel of Christ is a full service gospel. The same words that convict the soul of a need for salvation, soothes the soul with a feeling of hope. But it is of little effect without legs to walk beside someone or arms to hug them tight in a time of trouble. That’s why the church was established so we could help one another through the hard times of life.
  • Comfort – security or relaxation. A feeling of home! When I walk into the sanctuary of Victory Baptist Church there is a joy that leaps within me. It’s my Father’s house, and as His child I feel as much at home there as I do in my living room at the house. That’s how it should be for every believer that walks through the door, whether or not it is their home church. There should be a feeling of belonging.
  • Mercy – forgiveness or compassion. A feeling of humanity! We’ve all been in need of forgiveness; and essential for a feeling of unity in the believers is mercy. As someone once said “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” Everyone who walks in the door should feel the acceptance of the Lord to come “just as I am.

Philippians 4:1-5 is a church that understands the J.O.Y. of the Lord.  ~ Jesus first, others second, and yourself last.

When you walk into your church on Sunday morning, I hope you walk in looking for that soul who needs to link with yours for consolation, comfort and mercy and a feeling that they’ve just arrived home.