As we continue the “Under Construction” series, I happened upon a thought that was triggered by last week’s sermon. Now, before I begin, I am not saying that we are to be rebels and push back against all the rules but I do want to explore common sense. Common sense suggests that if you order a hot chocolate from a vendor, you should get what you asked for—hot chocolate beverage. I remember the days a long time ago when my dad taught me how to properly hold a beverage while he drove the half-ton. You see, in a 1974 Chevy pickup there were a couple things missing that modern trucks have; bucket seats and a center console with cup holders. The truck was a standard which meant you needed your right hand to shift, the left hand on the wheel and you could not hold the beverage between your legs because of the need to clutch. The middle passenger never held the cup because they were always dodging the shifter so the shotgun got the cup. Was there a warning sign to say the contents were hot – no. Did I need to have it explained what would happen if it spilled – no. Back in those days we did not have “travel mugs”, instead we had the big old ceramic coffee mug that held a half a pot of coffee. Dad taught my brother and I how to hold the cup properly, how to lean it as we went around corners or sped up and how to absorb the bumps on rough roads.
Common sense meant that we knew it was hot, dad wanted his coffee at the end of the trip and if we messed up, dad was upset and someone was getting slightly burnt. Now-a-days, we need to have warnings on a coffee cup that states the obvious “contents may be hot”. The thought that we need to express the fact it is possibly hot is hilarious but the other thing we often overlook is the word “may”. If the person takes a sip of the beverage and finds it to be lukewarm, the client can go back and demand a hot beverage. So here is the thing, you have a hot beverage, in a cup holder close enough to the driver as not to be a distraction or inconvenience and you are driving in a province where distracted driving includes eating or drinking while driving. Why is this? Because people may spill the contents of the drink in their lap while they are driving and could possibly cause an accident. Hypercautious. Common sense is being legislated for us and we are getting more and more reliant on others to make our world safe. How long until our playgrounds are enveloped in bubble wrap and everyone is required to wear protective gear to play on the monkey bars?
It is the same thing with our faith. Over the past centuries, church leaders have bubble wrapped the faith so no one can be tempted to practice or grow in their faith. Common sense says God created all things, Jesus died on the cross for us all and the Holy Spirit is our loving guide and our strength. We are not invulnerable to temptation but God has given us the means and the ways to grow in our faith and learn through His word and by His example.
You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you. So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. Col 1:7-11 NLT
This Sunday, we look at how we can release the bonds of over doing it with the rules and leaning on the Word of God. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST.
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We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Todd
www.mainavefellowship.ca
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