Classic and contemporary excerpts.
Called to entertain?
It’s hard to imagine:
—Paul having the gift of entertainment.
—Barnabas being the minister of entertainment, rather than the minister of encouragement.
—Jesus selling tickets to the feeding of the 5,000.
—James begging money for “tickle the ear and emotion programs” of people in his church who had developed wrong expectations.
—Peter peddling his “Feed My Sheep” seminars.
Far too often, we’ve tried to bring ministry, music, and entertainment together, and in so doing, we’ve lost the integrity and true meaning of the music of the church. No one can honestly say they’ve been “called by God to entertain.”
—Glenn W. Harrell in Creator (April 1988)
Forget the “competition”
It is too bad that anything so obvious should need to be said at this late date, but from all appearances, we Christians have about forgotten the lesson so carefully taught by Paul: God’s servants are not to be competitors, but co-workers.
—A. W. Tozer in The Next Chapter After the Last
God never made birdcages
The Spirit of God is always the spirit of liberty; the spirit that is not of God is the spirit of bondage, the spirit of oppression and depression. The Spirit of God convicts vividly and tensely, but He is always the Spirit of liberty. God who made the birds never made birdcages; it is men who make birdcages, and after a while we become cramped and can do nothing but chirp and stand on one leg. When we get out into God’s great free life, we discover that that is the way God means us to live “the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
—Oswald Chambers in The Moral Foundations of Life
“Just good business”?
The phrase “It’s just good business” is often used to excuse an act or practice that, when examined critically, could scarcely be called Christian. The companion phrase “Sorry, it’s just not good business” is also used by businessmen as a valid reason for refusing to act in a Christian manner to their suppliers, customers, competitors, or employees.… In such matters, the Church continues to look in upon itself and not out upon the world. A large percentage of its members, when they enter its portals, check an important part of their lives in the cloakroom.
—Pierre Berton in The Comfortable Pew
The wrong kind of pity
Pity is one of the noblest emotions available to human beings; self-pity is possibly the most ignoble. Pity is the capacity to enter into the pain of another in order to do something about it; self-pity is an incapacity, a crippling emotional disease that severely distorts our perception of reality. Pity discovers the need in others for love and healing and then fashions speech and action that bring strength; self-pity reduces the universe to a personal wound that is displayed as proof of significance. Pity is adrenalin for acts of mercy; self-pity is a narcotic that leaves its addicts wasted and derelict.
—Eugene H. Peterson in Earth and Altar
The Father’s son
A child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father.
—Austin L. Sorensen in These Times (June 1979)
The big picture
Looking through a peephole is no way to stay motivated when you’re moving toward a goal.
The big view is important. It takes big dreams—big goals—big rewards—big faith—to keep us moving through obstacles and fatigue and discouragement. To maintain momentum requires constantly reminding ourselves what we are working toward.
—Charles Paul Conn in Making It Happen
