Fixing the Floor Part 2

The new developments in the "fixing the floor" concept...

First, I was reminded while working on our float for the Golden Days Parade here in Fairbanks about who the carpenter is... It's not me. Jesus, most people assume, grew up learning the trade of his father, Joseph. But in the spiritual sense, Jesus is the carpenter and also the cornerstone. So to think we could build or rebuild anything without Jesus would be foolish. It has to be about him or nothing else matters.

Second, when handling the wood necessary to rebuild, one tends to get splinters. Smaller pieces break off and lodge subcutaneously causing irritation. The splinter that has been stuck since just this morning reminds me that this rebuilding, fixing the floor, is larger than just one congregation. Perhaps it means planting a church or opening a satellite or just a coffee shop, not sure yet.

Third, there are many talented, gifted, Spirit-filled people that need to be involved in this project. A team needs to be brought together to share this vision and help with the building up of God's kingdom.

From fixing the floor to building another house, Jesus is the carpenter and the Holy Spirit is the foreman. More to come as time goes by...

Fixing the Floor

When we lived in Michigan, we lived just north of the city of Detroit. We read in our church bulletin one Sunday that a mother about four miles to the south of us needed a crib for her new baby. Our son had just outgrown our crib, so we decided that we could give it away. We took it apart and I drove down to 5-mile road to deliver the crib. As I approached the house, I noticed that the stairs were in need of repair and had to choose carefully how I walked up to the door. The porch was the same. As I entered the house, meeting the owner who was a wonderful woman, dedicated to her family and very loving, I noticed the floor had holes and loose boards all over the place. She directed me to follow her to where she wanted the crib. I followed her every step, knowing that if I ventured off the path, I'd be through the floor in no time. But she had learned how to walk among the loose boards and nail pops and holes in order to get from point A to point B, in her own home. She was unable to fix the floor, so she normalized the damage and navigated accordingly.

Our church has learned to navigate a broken floor. We struggle with Christians who are inactive and unresponsive to the needs of the community and even of their own house. How have they become inactive? They didn't used to be. In fact, they came to the church very excited, eager and willing to be part of the community. But once they were in the house, they discovered that no one was moving. Why aren't they moving? Because the floor is broken and if you move, you might fall through. There are some who are moving, but they are moving very carefully, deliberately and slowly. You have to be that way because the floor is not safe.

How did the house fall into disrepair? I'm not sure. I have my guesses and maybe historically, there are a lot of reasons, but honestly, that's not important. The important thing is to consider whether you want to teach people how to walk on a broken floor or do you want to fix the floor? Which is going to be more work? In the short term it might be easier to teach people where to step, but that limits movement because you can't have everyone moving at the same time. It also limits creativity and the path that is prescribed by safety is the only way to go. If you go outside that path, you run the risk of injury. This path is marked by words like: we don't do things like that here, if you want to get things done you have to do it this way, it's just not a sure thing, so we probably shouldn't do anything, someone tried to do that before and got hurt. Have you heard these things? So the short term solution is limiting, prescribed and boring.

We need to fix the floor. We need to create a place for exploration, creativity, excitement, movement. How do we go about creating or re-creating an environment where God's gifts can be given the freedom and energy they need in order to accomplish his work with joy and excitement?

Celebrity Worship

In light of the recent passings of Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Ed McMahon, among others, there is a great need to be reminded of the created-ness of man. We tend to worship with our gossip and our attention those who have attained some imaginary status of celebrity. Remember all of the others who have passed on, saints in the eyes of God, that no one has remembered or have been splashed across the newspapers.

Acts 10:25-26 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”

Have you ever met anyone really famous? I mean, a super-star celebrity or great statesman, world leader? Chances are that not too many of us have met someone that holds high worldly status. But even when meeting someone of mild worldly status, we tend to behave differently. We might smile a lot, gush about how great they are and how we’re such big fans and we might even get a little nervous. But it grieves my heart when I see people overflow with emotion and worship of a person that should only be given to God.

Cornelius is a gentile who was held in high esteem even by the Jewish authorities. He was given a vision by God to call Peter and listen to what Peter had to say. But when Peter shows up, Cornelius treats him as if he were God. The scriptures use the word worship. He worshiped at Peter’s feet. A sign of respect is one thing, but out and out worship is another and Peter won’t have it. “I’m just a guy like you.” Peter wants to be sure that Cornelius and all of those in the household know that he doesn’t think more highly of himself than he ought, to quote Paul.

There is a lot to be read here. Some proverbs might come from this. Don’t get a big head. Don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Beware of those who fall at your feet for they may be tying your shoelaces together. Peter wanted everyone to know that it was the message from Jesus that was of utmost importance, not necessarily who it was that brought it.

Our worship is reserved for the King of kings and Lord of lords, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No one else and nothing else is deserving of our worship. In the Psalms, the writer talks about things made from stone or wood or metal that can’t hear, see or speak. We don’t worship those. We don’t worship anything that is in creation. We only worship the Creator. We don’t worship anyone who needed saving. We only worship the one who is able to save.

So for all of those celebrity worshipers, keep in mind that they are only men and women, just like you and me. They are no more deserving of our worship than you are deserving of being worshiped. And if you feel like you deserve to be worshiped, try your hand at creating life from nothing and when you can do that, we’ll talk.

Heavenly Father, thank you for creating us. We praise your wonderful name and are blessed to be part of your creation. Through your Holy Spirit, help us to be mindful of the difference between Creator and creation. Help us always to keep our worship focused on you and only you. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.