I have a cold.  It might be caused the by the germs that are apparently floating around the office or my house or maybe it is from the weather changing erratically from 40 degrees one day to 90 the next; whatever the cause, it is annoying and has left me feeling stuffy, tired, thick headed and unmotivated.  I know what you are thinking, “Waa, waa, waa, poor you.”  Trust me, I think it too.  But what I am really thinking of as I sit in my office trying to work productively is Colossians 3:23-24: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.  Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ. I learned this verse years ago when my kids were really little, and I pretty much knew I would never go another  day that didn’t involve some form of tissue.  Then I applied it to making coffee for my husband, folding the laundry, vacuuming and countless other daily chores.  Today I think of that verse much like I used to, but I have given it a much broader spin… it doesn’t speak of only the “work” that I do, it applies to my relationships, my work, and my free time.  So while I whittle at my “to do” list praying that God will heal my cold, I think: Whatever I do, I will work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… even when I have a cold.

-Kristan

In this modern day and age of everything being on the internet, I’m not sure how many people actually read the Des Moines Register anymore.   But being the old fashioned type that I am, I still do!  (I get made fun of for using a phone book!!   I’m told “no one uses a phone book these days – they look numbers up on the web” !!)   Anyway, back to the Register…..every Friday, there is a feature by Sophia Ahmad called “5 Things You Can’t Miss This Weekend”.  She highlights the 5 best things going in and around Des Moines for the current weekend – festivals, shows, tours, events, etc.    It’s a quick way to see at a glance the times, prices and details of events that you may want to take part in that weekend.

Well, here at LCC, we have something called “The Top 5”!   You may have noticed that we are starting to use it in our announcements from the stage on Sunday mornings and in the bulletins.   The section in the bulletin is called  “This Week’s Top 5” – a place where, at a glance, you can take note of the top 5 things going on at LCC.    Of course, we will continue to have other announcements listed in the bulletin as always.

In the near future, we hope to also have our website coordinate with a special front page section highlighting the “Top 5” too!  There will then (hopefully!) be a link to another page where you will be able to find all of the regular detailed announcements and ministry info.    By using the Top 5, we hope to streamline all of the information we need to convey to everyone here at LCC and others who may be visiting our website.

I’ve always enjoyed Ms. Ahmad’s column in the Friday Register….but every week I can’t help but think she’s missing one.   She should also include worshipping on Sunday!   To me, that’s the most important part of the weekend that I “can’t miss”!

-Jeana Smith

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."   At once they left their nets and followed him.
-Matthew 4:19-20 NIV 

One of the most frustrating hurdles to deal with when raising children is when the child appears to be “chronologically challenged”.  In other words when our wishes or instructions, as the blessed provider and mentor of our little carbon copies, becomes lost or confused in translation, detached from its relationship to time and space. It’s when the stated or implied time factor that accompanies our request retranslates from “NOW” to “when I get around to fitting it into my already set agenda”.

As adults, we would like to think we have moved beyond this childish inability to synchronize our lives with the lives of those around us, but unfortunately, in many instances, such is not the case. We simply become more polished and extenuate in our rational of why a sense of urgency may be unrealistic for us or at the very least, misappropriated at this time. Another way of saying this is we have better perfected our excuse-o-meters for not taking action.

We find this same practice, in higher frequency sadly, in the ministry of God’s kingdom as well. We act as though the instruction we receive from the word of God regarding our role in the building of this kingdom has with it an open and flexible timeframe, a ministerial cafeteria option as it were regarding the fulfillment of the great commission.

When Jesus called his first disciples out of the world, there was no hesitation, no debate, they didn’t first check to see if their TiVo’s were set or what the athletic department had planned. They recognized the Son of God’s authority even though they may not have understood it…and obeyed. We, as disciples called out of the world also are obligated and expected to react, to move when the Spirit and the word of God says MOVE. To smash the excuse-o-meters and engage in Kingdom construction when called, not when it fits.

Pastor Craig