Common
Step in and look closely.
Step in—but step and turn to the right or to the left now, whichever is opposite your standard routine.
Look closely.
Next to the teenager [holes in the knees of her jeans] is a man [starched collar, executive air]; just down the row from them is another man [tattoos from elbow to wrist], and a few seats back is a couple [older, grayer]. A woman [shiny high heels] is directly across the room from a woman [flip flops], and between them a child [blinking sneakers] swings his feet above the floor in the place where he sits among the circles of gray chairs.
Step in. Look closely and see: all of us are covered in the same dust.
We are a community of people with ordinary differences and eccentricities, with gaps and divisions—but what unites us is our common pulse of need. We all need food to eat, water to drink, a roof overhead. We need a purpose and a place to be; we need truth and meaning; we need rest and relief and saving. We need people around us who can look and see like Jesus did, who can notice and stand alongside us, who can give of themselves. The need is what makes it human. Sharing the need is what makes it church.
Quoted word for word from Mars Hill Bible Church's website. They're identifying what must be remembered in churches all over the world. We're all not that different. The differences we see create boundaries that can be uncomfortable to cross. But, if we look past our differences and eccentricities we will have many more opportunities to serve and work together, and in the process become a much more effective church.
Labels: christian
posted by Leigh McCulloch @ 1:12 PM
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I have included the list below for other Christmas movie enthusiasts. It does contain some movie names more than once (people like remaking Christmas movies heaps, especially A Christmas Carol), and it also includes a few tv episodes too that websites had recommended. On my personal copy of my list I am rating each movie as I go for later reference, and listing whether or not I've seen it. I've added all the release dates from looking them up on imdb.com as best I could.
Life insurance is a good investment, and unfortunately largely forgotten about when it comes to deciding where to best invest your money. Prices can range, but many people in their 20's will have a superannuation fund and your likely to get a reasonable rate from them. As an example I pay $45 per month for $500,000 life insurance that pays out if I die before the age of 65.
