thoughts from the weekend

Great weekend!

Friday evening, Debbie and I went and saw a play entitled, "The unseen" at a theater in Chicago. The venue only sat 60 people, so it was a very intimate setting. One of the actors had been on the show "Prison Break" (which I have never seen), so it was very professionally done.

The play only had three actors. Two prisoners and a guard in a setting that took place in a prison that was led by an oppressive regime in a nameless country.

The two prisoners, two men, had been in prison for 10 years, never having seen one another, constantly beaten, both of them trying to keep their sanity with word games and ploys to keep their minds sharp.

At the end of the play, the guard releases them (for no apparent reason except that the guilt of constantly torturing the prisoners was overwhelming for him) by opening up the doors of their cells and walking away.

Here's what I noticed and the reason why I bring it up. After their cell doors were opened and they were apparently free, the two men were scared to step outside their confinement space and walk away. Was it a trick? Were they really set free? Did they want to leave the bondage they were in? Had they become so used to their bondages that freedom seemed like an unwanted possibility in their lives?

I see a lot of people like that as I minister. They know that they need to be set free from their bondages, they know that ultimately they don't like living in the prison of anger, bitterness, addictions, depressions (you can fill in the blank) but they can become so habitualized and comfortable with that bondage that to even desire to be set free can be an enormous task.

That's why Jesus one time asked a man, "do you really want to be healed"? Do you really want to be made well? That's always the first step to healing....the willingness to take that step of faith outside the cells of our lives and walk in the daylight of God's grace, victory and freedom.

I've been meeting with each Life Group leader. Had a great time with Scott and Hannah Borchers. Each life group seems to be taking on a personality of its own.

Sunday mornings worship again was special. I can't tell you what a thrill it is to see people standing around the altars with hands raised in adoration of the master of our lives - Jesus Christ.

Worship times are the gas in the engine to what makes a church go. My prayer is that we continue to seek after God and draw deeper into his presence.

And then...Sunday evening. Spencer Jones was with us from his church in the inner city of Chicago. His worship choir led us into God's presence. What a wonderful time we had worshipping together, Black, white, rich and poor, we are all God's people!

Watched 10 minutes of the Lakers-Cavs game. Kobe and Lebron. Not quite Larry Bird and Magic and Micheal Jordan, but they are great players. Fun to watch.

Got home last night and channel surfed for about 30 minutes....saw part of the Grammy's off and on with Neil Diamond and Paul McCartney....how long are these guys going to sing? I mean I admire their tenacity, but come one....am I the only one that thinks a 65 year old rock and roller is just plain...well....