Sunday, January 11, 2009

Let Your Light Shine

I'm hesitant to write this next post, because I don't want it to come across as me tooting my own horn. My goal isn't to look good on this, but more to get you thinking. Maybe I'll accomplish neither. Who knows?

We've got neighbors on one side of us that we barely know and barely see. They talk to us more than anyone, but that's still not a lot. One of them works as a pilot flying the small jets for Northwest while his girlfriend is an airline mechanic. They work weird hours and come and go in the middle of hte night.

I started off at the beginning of the winter shoveling their driveway and sidewalks anytime I did our own. They're not home, so I've been doing it anonymous. I figured that if I got home at 2am, the last thing I'd want to do is spend another hour shoveling my driveway and sidewalks. Throughout the winter, I've continued to do this. They're never home and I don't think think they have a clue who does it. I honestly hope they don't find out it's me.

I'm wondering what other areas of my life I just need to shut my mouth and love people better with my actions. I'm sure my siblings and friends would have all sorts of suggestions on the topic of where to shut my mouth - except my singing, of course.

One of the things I love about my church is our reputation. We're not known as the church with the best coffee, or the hippest music or the biggest building. In the past, this would have killed me. I wanted to be the cutting edge church with the edgy music, cool video and hip messages. There's nothing wrong with those qualities in and of themselves, but that can't be it. If you ask people today in our community, they our defining quality is that we're a church that loves people really well. Today, I'm at a point where I love that reputation. It's exactly what I want my church to be known for.

Matthew 5:16:
Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

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