Take a look at the headlines today and see how the need for Jesus Christ to walk among this new generation “with skin on” has skyrocketed, illuminating WellSpring Community Church’s purpose now, more than ever. It is not getting any easier to be committed to Christ as the world continues to spin out of control. We need each other in order to stay on the straight and narrow and be encouraged when life gets too hard to go on. Others yet to come need a safe place to draw near to the purifying power of Christ’s Holy Spirit. As He uses us to catch ’em, He WILL clean ’em! Bass Pro isn’t the ONLY bait shop on “our” happy little corner of I-65!! We must continue to faithfully fish for the catch God is bringing for HIS purposes.
I don’t know much about fishing other than Tennessee summers at my “Uncle T.H.’s” catfish pond. Most of the time, if I threw my cane pole in, that little red and white bobber would let me know that a perch or a bream had been impressionable enough to think that worm was the real thing. Crickets, bread balls…it didn’t really matter. In my experience, those type of pond dwellers will eat just about anything. Even snapping turtles will check out the offering (taking the line, bobber, hook, and sinker, of course. So will Satan, for that matter!).
I know from talking to more experienced fishermen that bass are tricky, and that they like “shiny things.” I’ve never fished for bass, but I’m about to believe this present generation of unchurched are rather like them. They are tricky to read, tricky to plan for, tricky to commit, and they seem to like shiny things, too…shiny tech, shiny cars, shiny skin, shiny coins, shiny smiles. Even shiny Starbucks (well, me too!). BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT….
Do you realize, do they realize, that nothing of the above will keep its shine forever? One of my cherished songs from a favorite 90’s band REM, “Shiny Happy People”, sounds as if it could be written to describe Christians when they are filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Check out the simplistic lyrics:
Shiny happy people laughing…(Christians…those who should know what it feels like to be cleansed and forgiven)
Meet me in the crowd, people people (draw near to church frequently, faithfully)
Throw your love around, love me love me (gracious, enduring service to His children in the Body)
Take it into town, happy happy (exit, filled from Sunday worship, strengthened to serve the unchurched–with a good attitude)
Put it in the ground where the flowers grow (plant and fertilize…what we feed grows.)
Gold and silver shine
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Everyone around–love them, love them (He loves them; therefore, we do, too!)
Put it in your hands, take it take it (No more lip service…get busy!)
There’s no time to cry–happy happy (we get down, but we don’t stay there!)
Put it in your heart where tomorrow shines (always hope! ALWAYS!)
Gold and silver shine
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
If you’ve ever heard the song, you know that the beat of the song is just like that…simple and happy. If a secular song can “get it right”…why can’t we? Where is our shine? How can we keep from letting it fade away?
The shine on the OUTSIDE of a believer comes from fueling the INSIDE of the believer, through quietening and ordering our lives to prioritize daily prayer, scripture reading (2 chapters a day will make a huge difference), and taking a moment to reach out to someone and be “Jesus with skin on.” Then, once (or more) a week, we draw near to the body as a whole to remember that:
1. Others have problems and need encouragement too.
2. The book God is writing needs our chapter but is so much bigger!
3. We are BETTER together, for our sake and for HIS, than we are alone.
There is no dollar sign on any of these things, but pursuing the “big three daily” will enrich your life and the lives of those around you immeasurably. And you MIGHT just catch a tricky bass who likes shiny things in the process!