Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: The Church (12/06/07)
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TITLE: SO 'TIS US | Previous Challenge Entry
By Susan Dale
12/13/07 -
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own interpretations. My hope is that it will help stimulate thinking and guide your thoughts to
THE CHURCH and what it means to you in your life and also how it can lead us to examine
our consciences.
What is The Church? Some may say it is a building for worship or a quiet place to
go.
Why do we have The Church? Is it important to our lives? Can we do without it?
How can we embrace the principles of The Church? Look to the Pastor, Scripture or even
God Himself?
Where is The Church? In the city, the country, perhaps in a field or on the sports ground?
When should we use The Church? For our weekly services, Baptisms, Confirmations,
Weddings, Funerals etc?
Who is The Church? Let us make no mistake about this one ´TIS US...
Is The Church perfect, should it present itself as ideal whatever or whoever it is? As
Christians of ‘The Church´ we are called upon to face Jesus in a plethora of situations,
dilemmas and doubts, most of them needing a great deal of soul searching. I invite you, with
me, to examine one particular soul searching dilemma, which involves two beggars.
So....What would you do? Two beggars attend our Church every week, no they don’t come
inside they sit outside and beg. Yes, they smell, they are an embarrassment. Should we
invite them in? Oh dear is this Jesus sitting outside our Church? What now of our
embarrassment? (John 1:11 NLT) He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.
So.....Why? This is a question asked many times, WHY should it happen, WHY them, WHY
me? Should we ask our beggars why do you sit outside our Church each week, is it for
money, food, are they embarrassed or ´tis it US?
So....How do we tackle this delicate situation? Is it the Pastor’s job, the Churchwardens, even
the police, no surely not, we respect God don’t we?
So....Where can we suggest they go? No one wants them, not even ME I’m embarrassed.
So....When will you leave? That’s what we want to know really, leave, and take away all this
embarrassment. (James 2:1 NLT) My dear brothers and sisters how can you claim to have faith
in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
So....Who is THE CHURCH? Oh yes, ´TIS US.....And we are embarrassed! Oh dear
time to pray and reflect......on our knees......in our hearts......with our conscience......
......So....Gracious Lord help Us THE CHURCH with this embarrassment; show US the answer
we pray. Ha ´tis but in our own hearts the answer lay, they, our beggars are not the
embarrassment ´tis US THE CHURCH.... (Hebrews 10:24) And let us consider one another in
order to stir up love and good works. (NKJV)
.......SO ´TIS US
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We MUST! Thanks for this article, I sure hope many will read.
This had an awful lot of questions for such a short article--almost as many questions as statements, which made it a little bit frustrating to read.
You have an engaging writer's voice.
I think you should have started with the beggar scenario...put the reader in the heartsearching spot.
Well done.