Time to think

It never ceases to amaze me how 'busy' I can become. Sometimes I'm busy because of poor planning - having left things un-done, there is now only 2 hours left in which to do the said 3 tasks, so a frantic wave of activity ensues. Sometimes it is just a timing thing: the people I want to catch up with can all do it, as long as it is on a Monday ... so you flit from one thing to the next, never really settling in to each event. Other times it is because I purely can't say no!

And it worries me when it means I become too busy to think. To busy to just sit and stare into space and wonder what the possibilities are. To mull over that verse in scripture that is troubling me. My mind is so filled with the minute details that the big things get crowded out. It can mean that I make decisions on a pragmatic basis rather than seeking God's wisdom. That doesn't just worry me - it scares me.

And when I do take the time to reflect, i wonder how much of being 'busy' is about finding my identity in what I do. I must be important: I'm busy!

So today when I read Luke 10 and was reminded of the story of Mary and Martha, I was challenged to be less like Martha in the way I live, and more lke Mary, eager to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from him. I was reminded also of Phil 4:7: 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to him, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.'

My this next week be one filled with time to think, to reflect and pray.

Here's part of the passage:
Luke 10:38-42 (English Standard Version
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 4But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Witnesses to Jesus

Today was the 3rd of our studies in Luke's Gospel, focussing on the witnesses to Jesus. We looked at Luke 1:5-79 as we considered the witness of Elizabeth, Mary and Zechariah.

I was really encouraged as we reflected on the mercy of our great God and his faithfulness to his promises to Israel in sending Jesus to save his people from their sins.

Zechariah really had it right:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

A bad day to start my MT&D diary homework

In year 2 of the Ministry Training and Development 'After College Training' for those in full time ministry, one of the tasks we have to do is to log, in 15 minute blocks, how we spend our day for 7 consecutive days. I decided that there was no time like the present, so diligently pulled out my log this morning and began.

But with only 4 hours sleep, and a very busy Monday, I am beginning to think that it was a very bad day to start. There is no obvious code to describe: 'have a mini-meltdown because you are tired and stressed and if anyone else asks you anything else you will stop coping!'. And even more annoying when you realise that event fits within one of the 15 minute slots ... it doesn't even get a whole one to itself.

Note to self: God is in control. It is Jesus who upholds the universe. Take some time to stop and remember all the good things he has done and what a privledge it is to serve him. And work out who you need to call in the morning to apologise in person for your ungraciousness.

A passage I need to constantly remember is Col 1:15-20:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything, he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Viral Marketing

I engaged in my first piece of Viral Marketing today - using facebook to create a series of events put on by Moore Partners (formerly Alumni & Friends) on the 26th of March. I was happy to do it because I think the events are great. If you'd like to come and hear Don Carson speak at MTC, then check out their website: www.moore.edu.au for more details. A real highlight will be dinner in the MTC dining hall followed by a 'chat' between Peter O'Brien and Don Carson.

It got me thinking about the different ways that we now communicate - in the past events like this would have a mass mailout, ads in Southern Cross and maybe an article in the Sydney Anglicans website. Yet nowadays with so much happening online, to not use this medium seems to miss out on so many people. It took me perhaps 30 minutes and I was personally able to make contact and invite about 300 of my Christian friends. The effect of the facebook feed is that friends of these friends, who I don't know personally, will also have been informed of the event. Like any advertising, it is incredibly hard to guage it's effectiveness. Yet for the time spent, if a few extra people get to come along and hear the bible taught, I think it is great.

What do others think? Is it offensive/annoying/unhelpful to get invitations like this? How do we be wise about how often to promote such things using these methods?

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