This semester I'm meeting with Life Group facilitators to encourage, pray, challenge....I'm excited. We have an amazing group of folks. When I sit in front of them I am challenged. We have the makings of like the perfect church (don't read too much into that, it's a communicating device – a metaphor if you will). Dedication and consistency, always follows through for God and contributes and serves like crazy. An attitude and energy for people. Inclusive video, cooking, and helping. A love of scripture and sharing that with others. An unbelievable, make me feel guilty, CSF couldn't function without them servant attitude, it's not even an attitude, it's just what they do. A dedication to what we're doing amongst a grueling full time school and work schedule. Up and coming spunk, desire, and appreciation for what it means to be urgent about God and urgent about people. It is awesome meeting with people like this. Serious. Laughter. Praying. Thinking. Sharing. Awesome.
All of these folks are committed to investing in Christ and others. They are not just involved, "core" people, or members, but they're out there making a difference, praying, and investing in others every week. They are the church, the "ekklesia" of the New Testament - the "gathering" if you will. “Church” doesn’t just happen once or twice a week – but it happens all week long. They aren't leaders, they're friends. I trust them. I love them. I hope for them. I can't wait to see God work through all that they're doing. I hope they see truth that points to Christ in all that they're doing.
That's our prayer. That God would speak to, affirm, challenge, and lead us. That the truth of scripture would become clear and plain as we follow God's lead in having an urgency for Him and an urgency for others (in other words living out the "two greatest commandments").
Go read Isaiah 58, seriously right now. Life can wait. That thing that just popped in your head telling you that you don't have time...that can hold off for one minute. You'll make it!
You see God, through Isaiah, being harsh about fasting and praying and being eager to know His ways. What? God can be upset about that? Who would be upset about that? True fasting...and healing...and joy....and the Lord answering us - is intimately connected to how we view God which is related to how we view people around us. Every day - how you view the people you see and talk to, is intimately connected to all of those other things. Think about that at work. At school. At home.
But when you think about it you're not that surprised. Because you care. You care about someone. You care about atrocity because it involves people. This actually speaks to the truth you know to be true deep down inside - it's not about different values and things - it's all the same thing. That's what Isaiah 58 says, it's all connected.
How you view the creation says a lot about how you view the creator, doesn't it?
Now that you didn't read Isaiah 58 - go read it!
So yeah - all that is made possible by folks that care about WVU, that care about the college environment and what we do at CSF. Go pray, thank God. Thank you. That's what it's all about. An urgency for God, an urgency for others. That's our deal here and that's what you're a part of if you support and encourage this place!