Bleacher Believers

In season with the upcoming Superbowl and perhaps as a result of a little Maxwell persuasion, I would like to rant about Bleacher Believers.

Every year millions of people tune into the Superbowl and most of them are at some sort of party. During this party we meet people who we can clump into 3 categories. The nomiees, the quasis, and the Crazies,

The nomiees are the nominals who are at the party because they're, it's a party they could really careless about the actual game, sure they ask occasionally what the score is, but that's the extent of their involvement. These people drive the Crazies crazy...........er.

The Quasis are the people who know a little about football, and have picked a team to cheer for, but they're really still there for the party. These people are easily influenced by the nomiees and the crazies.


Then there's the Crazies who would come close 2 selling their first born just 2 watch the game. I find myself in this category. If there was no party we'd still be watching the game. For us everything around us becomes inexistent as we are immersed in the game. There are times we can almost smell the grass and taste the turf (this maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea).

In Church life we seem to have these three catergories, as well. The nomiess, who come for the party. The quasis, who are kind of involved in things, but are still more interested in the party.However, with some guidance from some crazies could make the jump.The crazies are the ones who could careless about the party they just wanna be a part of what matters.

The big differences between a SuperBowl and the life of the Church is the Prize at the end for those of us who win, and the destiny of those who lose. The other difference is we are not to just become artificially immersed in the event, we are to be truly active and living out the experience. We are to get out of the bleachers and onto the field.

AN OT JC

This morning I was woken up out of a dead sleep at 5:45am. For those of you who have ever had the "pleasure" of sleeping in the same room as me you know this isn't the norm for me. It takes next to a natural disaster to get me WIDE awake and a whole lot of diligence to even budge me from my slumber otherwise.

I wasn't woken up by a natural disaster. I was woken up by God himself. When I woke up it wasn't a startled awake. It was a "I'm sleeping....I'm sleeping.....I'm awake. Absolutely no transition! So I did the logical thing, I went to the "lavatory" upon returning from my excursion, I laid down to go to sleep with, but to no avail.

After an hour of "discussion" I clued in God had woken me up for a reason. So I got up showered, grabbed a coffee and began to work on some youth things.

As it turns out if I had of gotten up as late as I was planning to I would have never been able to get every thing I wanted to have ready for our youth meeting that morning.


It reminded me of Samuel when he was laying in bed and the LORD kept calling him. While our relationship with God is dynamic, growing and changing as individuals and as his people, it's always cool when he reveals himself in some of the powerful ways of the Old Testament. Sure, I didn't hear an audible voice, but I do know who woke me up! Kinda throws a kink in those "that was Bible times, this is now" arguments.

Renewal

I have entered into the New Year with a great deal of joy. The Wesleyan Church is declaring this the year of the Bible and our church has begun working through the Bible. Now, me being the sly maverick, I have deviated from the reading plan and have begun my own. I'm reading books of the Bible I haven't given much attention to.

Historically, I've never really enjoyed reading the Bible, nothing against God, I just found it boring. I've prayed for my eyes to see what he has to say to me and I've prayed he would awaken me to his truth.

I've regularly read the Bible out of discipline, rather than enjoyment, then this year I began reading and I've begun enjoying it. I actually get excited about the Bible.
Being a Bible college graduate, I know that's suppose to happen instantously when I enroll, but I'm a little on the slow side, so give me a break.

This is the excitement of my New Year. What has everyone else's been like?