Sunday Morning Reality Checks

i'm thoroughly delighted to have been led to a Church that doesn't, for lack of a better term, suck. or doesn't through inane usage of "self", bastardize, dilute, or in any way sully the message of the Gospel. i am blessed that this Church has also given the chance to those who come in to be completely inspired to not only grow in Christ, but to as the Bible says be the Church. so understand that when i say Church i really mean the people. i'm also totally stoked that every Sunday there is a beautiful mix between the Spirit through worship, the Son through the truth in the Gospel, and the wisdom as it is reflected by man through the understanding of theologists and philosophy. All done for the Glory of God & not for man. Preachers who unabashedly admit their own hopes not in attempts to draw attention but to show that yes, we are all ALL here.

Over the past couple of years I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am changed. Not for the better as my own improvement does nothing, shows nothing but the nature of a character I hope to become. My relationship with God however, I can say has become better- daily. Sure I am human. Sure I am literally just going to be on this Earth for roughly another 65-70 years in comparison to the MILLIONS BILLIONS and oh hey, eternity...but...in those years there is an ultimate freedom. If you aren't concerned with pleasing the pattern of this world, time becomes a completely different thing. It's a loosing of a belt. It is no longer a race but a chance to touch lives, connect, and ultimately where the Glory of God as a focal point. In the event that my life is diagrammed as a complete sentence I pray I am merely a predicate noun or adjective to God.

Laying on my bed yesterday I went through basically my list of important things. Sometimes I go on mental dates with myself just to make sure 1) i'm being real with myself & 2) my self awareness matches my well...self This list I came up with went something like this:

1. God
2. Music
3. Kids

which if you don't mind me being so bold is ultimately just, love. boosh!

Love indeed. I was very much slapped this morning in Church though, checked if you will into the corner by a winger who has my best interest and His ultimate interest at my heart. Why do I create? Why do I have this ultimate desire to care for those around me? Why do I teach? What is the basis for all of this? What is the intention? A question I am ok with answering, I love people, I love watching people learn, I love watching people learn and love each other, I love watching different things come together to ultimately form something beautiful. The majesty of this reflects our Creator. The ultimate Creator. There is freedom in Christ.

But, what is the difference between intentions and agenda? Agenda I have said, I have none as the negative conatation puts a taste in my mouth that's worse than the sour beer I had at the beer garden that one evening that I only got because the name sounded cool, and I was afraid that if I didn't order the beer properly, having been in Chicago for 4 months and just meeting this ENTIRE ENSEMBLE for the first time - out of fear, out of fear comes agendas. Ulterior motives, and the such. I have no patience for such things as I have no patience for beating around the bush.

Intentions however are specific, resulting from the pursuit of something much bigger- much better than our own selves. This morning in the message JR started out with a message quoting Solomon from Ecclesiastes where the wealthiest man, the richest man, explains how he gains nothing from this toil (Ecc 1:3) here is the full text- NKJV which is also a literal translation. Give me the facts, jack:

¹ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
² “ Vanity^[a] of vanities,” says the Preacher;

“ Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
³ What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
⁴ One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.
⁵ The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And hastens to the place where it arose.
⁶ The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
⁷ All the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.
⁸ All things are full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.
⁹ That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there anything of which it may be said,

“ See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
¹¹ There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.

What are we worshiping? What's the point? What are my intentions? To please man or God?

Stay the course. Everything else is ancillary in relation to serving God- not because it's not important but because it will only come to full fruition when the guidance is from our Creator.