Clint Davis's comment on this blog (yesterday) about planting Christmas trees in Uganda (http://www.kibogroup.org/mvuleproject.html) is precisely the kind of stuff I love to hear about.
This morning's paper reports the death of Lamar Hunt. He is credited with establishing the K.C. Chiefs football team and naming the Super Bowl. One idea failed. He wanted to buy Alcatraz and turn it into a theme park/shopping destination. The local community protested and the idea died. Can you imagine the community would rather have a prison? How often to great ideas die because preference to keeping the prison in tact overrides building an exciting park?
I thought I had a great idea for Memorial which would have worked but it didn't fly. I wanted to sell the building and transfer the proceeds to establish ministries to the poor. What church does this except maybe one in Acts...where they sold their possessions?
We could establish drop-in care for abandoned mothers as they ran to the doctor or went back to school. We could get dealerships to sponsor vans to transport the elderly to the doctors. We could get land donated (since we had given up our property) for camps for inner city kids and mentally handicapped children and use such camps to train our church teens how to minister all summer long. On an on the proposal continued.
Paul Harvey would have reported a church in America that gave itself away and, I believe, someone would have donated a facility for our church family to assemble in. A new vision of Christianity would capture the doubting/indifferent in our communities. I saw it as a way to get the community to help us and minister with us and eventually become a part of us. But we didn't try.
Of course it was extreme. I understand the hestitation. During the time I was proposing this to a set of elders many years back, an unsolicited offer to buy our property came along. Without checking with anyone else the seeker was told no we weren't interested in selling. I felt we should be.
Maybe my idea was way wacky. Maybe it was a foolish dream. My point is the grand march around the Jericho Walls and the reduction of Gideon's army was just as wacko and if we keep our dreams opened sometimes there'll be a match.
Soon into Christianity, dreamed of getting to be a preacher. The church which converted me told me I really didn't want to preach. But I did....I did at least want to try.
When your Alcatraz's die under protest, don't let your imagination suffer setback. Keep dreaming forward!
10 comments:
This right here is what I love about you!!! And I don't think it was a wacky idea at all. Sometimes it good to get us all out of our comfort zone and do what doesn't feel right in our eyes, but what feels right in His!
I have started to read your blog!! It has been inspiring and interesting. Your idea was not wacky at all. We have become used to mediocre ideas. Ideas that are filled with faith just seem wacky! Keep Dreaming!
That very thing will be done in the next 12 months by people who have heard the same thing in their spirit but didn't have language for it.
The fact that you speak your dreams and go for it still shapes me. I pray to one day have your courage.
You remind guys like me that our dreams aren't too "out there". God is bigger than even our craziest imagination. Thanks.
I am so glad you decided to at least "try" to preach :) The world of ministry in preaching God's word to God's people would not be the same without. Don't ever stop "trying". Your love for Jesus, His word, and his people continues to spread like wildfire. I can't imagine the preaching world without you as a big part of it.
Our God is sooooo big and we dream so small... why is that? We have an awesome God who is bigger than anything we could ever possibly dream. Here's to more wacky God sized dreams! May we all just be wacky enough to give them a try! I love you friend!
As you know, the example is not just in Acts, but other writings in the Book as well. That is the heart of the savior, and therefore the heart of God. I realize I don't have all the details behind why it did or didn't go forward at Memorial, but the heart is right. Keep listening to Him.
Love the post. Do you know what they prayed for when the church was starting? Boldness. It is pretty clear that God answered that prayer. I think in the not too distant future we will see bolder moves by Christians. This upcoming generation has the boldness we just need to get it aimed in the right direction from time to time.
Love the post. Do you know what those guys were praying for when the church first started? Boldness. And can't you see how God answered those prayers? I think in the not too distant future we are going to see more and more extreme acts of discipleship. It is more and more likely as the world moves further and further from Him.
Love the post. Do you know what those guys were praying for when the church first started? Boldness. And can't you see how God answered those prayers? I think in the not too distant future we are going to see more and more extreme acts of discipleship. It is more and more likely as the world moves further and further from Him.
I'm reading "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" for the 3rd time. You have the measure of faith that Jim Cymbala writes about. In a sermon recently, a scripture jumped out at me that I remember now every time I pray. When the Israelites were grumbling for lack of meat, Moses questioned God's ability to feed at least 600,000 men, saying there weren't enough flocks/herds or fish in the sea to feed them all. God answered, "Is my arm too short?" We truly limit God because we don't believe His arm is long enough. Thank you for your encouraging words. I now have you as a link on my own blog!
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