Last evening a small group of our church met for a fellowship meal and conversation. The group included newly-wed couples to those with college-age children. The group brought an assortment of foods, backgrounds, interests, hopes and dreams but the one thing which united them into one was faith. Jesus calls the people who have seen and followed the light, ekklesia, or those who are called out or a special assembly. Formerly a political word, it has entered into the Christian lexicon to mean church. Like a formal church, this small group is made up of believers with each one gifted to become servants for Christ. We met at Darrin and Tammy's home, complete with swimming pool and hot tub and the group settled in for several hours of conversations of various topics until dark. Darrin and Tammy have a fireworks business and before we left, several men went with Darrin, a trained and licensed pyro-technician to set up and launch various fireworks into the dark night. It was then, looking around I saw this dramatic display in the sky playing out in the lives of these people of faith.
For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. "But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. Job 5:6-8 (NIV)
All of mankind is born for troubles like the sparks coming off of the the flare used last night to ignite the fireworks display. But when a sinner comes to Christ in faith they become like the light from the pyro-technics. As the believer grows in their faith, supported and nurtured by other believers, they rise like skyrockets into last night's darkness. At a time of God's timing, their faith explodes to the oohs of others sitting in a dark and sinful world watching the power of God change their lives. This visible light show reflects the actions of the church sending forth small pictures of the perfect Light and the power to save.
As we were about to depart, Psalm 133 was read:
How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! It's like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, Flowing down Aaron's beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes. It's like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that's where God commands the blessing,ordains eternal life. Psalm 133 The Message
One couple told the teachers of the marriage class they would not be were they are both spiritually and professionally if it was not for The Marriage Course taken at the church. Faith, food, and fireworks--a picture of the work of Christ in the life of believers.
No comments:
Post a Comment