Thoughts on the foundation of Gentle Spirit christian church

Micah 6:8 Cornerstone

I love some of the stories Jesus and others use in the Bible. The idea of how to build a house comes up very often. Jesus is a cornerstone of God’s church. So let’s look at structural design and see how important support structures are.

The simplest structure I can think of is an Indian’s teepee. They use 3 or 4 poles tied together to hold the external cover that provides shelter from the elements. Some of the benefits of this structure is the opening at the top to let the smoke out so that a fire can be kept inside and keep all warm in the winter.

So if we are building a church, the church needs 3 or 4 supports that can hold the church together. A good foundation helps, but we set that last week. This week we need to start looking at the supports that we use to hold the cover that provides each of us with reassurance that God 1) exists and 2) provides for our eternal future.

What are supports that are needed when it comes to God and our relationship with God/Jesus?

Micah 6:8 is the first support we shall look at. It says (The Message)
But God’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

Ok, sounds good doesn’t it? What does it mean? That’s easy 1) be honest 2) don’t cheat anyone 3) love everyone 4) be loyal in love – yes, be there for those you love thru all circumstances (when the get sick, when they are hurt or disabled, when they are healthy, when they wrong you). In other words you may not turn your back on anyone that is part of your family. BE LOYAL. 5) do not take yourself too seriously – in other words it isn’t about your and your needs. It is about items 1-4 I just mentioned. 6) take God seriously – in other words God does exist and God does care about each of us. Don’t doubt God’s influence in your life.

So is this any different than anything else you have ever been told? Not really. BUT you know something, this isn’t easy to do. When you don’t feel good, it should be about you, shouldn’t it? OR when you have had something great happen to you, should you it be about you too? God says no. It’s about “what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously - take God seriously.”

Now I have a challenge for you. If you are taking God seriously, then are you telling God ALL that you feel? When was the last time that you shared your anger with God? When did you share complaint or a thank you with God?

Try doing the following this week – read Psalm 31 and then create your own lament to God. I will share mine next week. Until them, Praise the Lord, we are loved each one, unconditionally.
alyce