It was kind of a small crowd on the buss, but I was not too surprised considering we were just coming off of reading week. We squiggle our way through the university area, down Whyte ave, and then headed south.
I had seen the location of this church in passing, but it is not in an area I frequent. In-fact it is pretty well back and out of the way of most residential area. Its pretty much located in an industrial area. That was rough. Not the ride, not the church. The tough part was riding through the industrial area seeing all the small business with boarded up windows. In my mere 24 years on this earth I have not yet seen/remembered what a bad depression looks like. I have heard the horror stories, some say the bust we are going through is minor and that things will pick up in the spring. People also thought WWII was only going to last 6 months when it dragged on for 7 years. So I take it all with a grain of salt.
I had some kind of idea of what this church would be like. Modern, large, majority of young people. all of which was correct. But it a way it was also kind of disappointing. You know that felling when an AMAZING movie comes out and your a supper big fan? And then a few years ,they come up with the sequel and everyone is totally stoked for it??? Then you go to see it and you just walk out feeling like "meh, it was ok...." That's what it felt like when i start comparing this church to Christ City. The simple fact is that they just did it better. Christ City was Bigger, louder, more lights, more smoke machines, more enthusiastic pastor and church members. In all fairness Celebration church you do have a book store and a better selection of baked goods at your coffee bar. But that's it really.
Some children were dedicated to the lord today. Many of them were babies, but one little girl was about 6, she stood there with what appeared to be her single mother. The pastor explained in order to dedicate these children to god we much teach them in our example. Apparently it also says in the bible that god promises that if we train our children to walk in the ways of Christ that they will continue to make quality life decisions through their lives. A group prayer was said for them.
As for this statement, I cant really be sure. I have a good friend back in high school that grew up in a extremely Christian home schooled family, and the other children in the family are righteous godly people and my friend is that one kid that is just a mess. My mother assures me that because he was raised in a christian family that we will eventually move back towards it, and get evened out again. I honestly hope that happens before he is dead or brain damaged. Toker buddy I miss you and I am praying for you! Some days I just wish we could rewind to the days of jamming in my parents basement and stealing beer out of the fridge!
"Sometimes we are so wrapped up in our suffering that we fail to see the works of god before our eyes."
The reading today was from Luke 5-12. Today Jesus is healing a Leper.
On a further note I think some of your might like to know WTF is Leprosy???
The thing that surprises me most however after reading about it is how non-contagious it generally is. Cause the Israelite's treated this disease like the end of the world! If you happen to know much about the laws of the Israelite's, you know how they delt with sick people. They kept an eye on them and if they were developing leprosy type symptoms and not getting better they would kick them out of the village and force them to live in the country side and beg along the roads. They could only ever some back on the chance that they would get better. Not a humane choice by any means, but they probably thought it was the best move they could make before modern medicine.
So Jesus is on the road and he encounters a man with Leprosy. This mans faith is interesting. He has heard of Christ, he knows what he does. So he asks him not "Can you heal me?" but instead he says "Will you heal me?" The point is that he is not questioning Jesus ability, but instead he is speaking towards god asking for healing and grace on his body and soul. Not only that, he comes from a condition that no one rarely shows love or compassion to him. Even the laws of the Israelite's (the so called Gods People.) have condemned him to suffer for the rest of his days, in seclusion and death. If you don't feel Fucked at that point, there is nothing that could get you down, honesty! The point is that he feels the need to ask if he is worthy of this grace. The nice part is that the bible makes it clear, in the fact that we are all loved and worthy of grace. Jesus heals the Leper.
"On what day did God create cancer?"
"These are things that came after the fall of man!".
"God acts as a healer in both the new testament and the old testament".
"Healing is both a gift and a ministry in the new testament"
"We have been given authority over the demonic realm."
"It is part of Gods nature to extend grace and mercy."
"You need to remove this idea that God not just some of your sins but ALL of your sins!"
A lot of the conditions that Jesus healed had very heavy stigma around them. Society at that time didn't see the people with these conditions not as having a bacterial infection with no cure. They saw them as people that had been punished by God, had been born unclean, were festering visual symbols of sin and should simply be avoided at all costs. And the crazy part is that this thinking is not restricted to the holly land in the time of Christ.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit
As for the building, well, it is pretty snazzy.
Book shop
You can also give your offering pre-service via debit.
Snack bar.
I would have liked to have time to stick around, but the buss was literately leaving 4 minutes after the service. So if I wanted to get home I needed to get a move on! I noticed this on the way in. Barbwire topped fence around the building.
Ps. Money from purchasing the album goes towards a organization committed to helping people that have been raped by Catholic priests.
But over all a good church. and just in cases you have any questions, you are always welcome here.
That's a wrap!
No comments:
Post a Comment