Service - Are You Jesus?

Story: Eric dressed in army surplus clothes and roared about on his motorbike. Long hair, full beard, he looked much older than his 18 years. He was proud of his tough biker image. Due to his image, it was no surprise when he was arrensted for shoplifting! Since Eric was a first time offender he was sentenced to several hours community service. Eric chose to do his time at 'The Shephard's Table' a soup kitchen for the homeless. He peeled potatoes, mopped floors and served food. The sights and smells depressed him. It was a place for the poor, the broken, lonely and afraid - people who reminded him a lot of himself.
Eric began to talk to people. He had expected to find just a bunch of drunken down and outs but intead he met a surprising variety of people caught in the poverty trap. An ex-soldier who worked but never had any money left. An older woman who had lost her home when her husband died. A young mother with 3 children who lived in one room. A family who had lost a business and struggled to find work. The stories broke his heart.
Eric didn't feel so 'hard' after a while. In fact he began to enjoy the way he felt when serving others. One day as he was wiping tables down, he felt a tug at his camoflage trousers. A little girl looked up at him and asked him.... 'please Sir, are you Jesus?'
Eric was startled by the question. Eh? he asked, confused...
'You must be Jesus!' the girl insisted. mummy told me that Jesus loves poor people like us.
Eric was shocked by this. And when he shard the story with the soupl kitchen manager, she showed him the story in the bible at Matthew 25:31-46 (check this link) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2025:31-46&version=31

Questions to think about: What did serving teach Eric about being Jesus' follower? When have you seen someone as Jesus describes: hungry thirsty, sick, no clothes, alone? What was your reaction?
Consider: All the people you come into contact with in a normal day. How can you serve those people? Think of Jesus each time you see someone in need. How do those thoughts affect your attitude towards that person?
More : Lamentations 3:26-27 Luke 10:25 - 37 John 13: 1-17

No! But the church does!

'No But the Church does!!!!' Is the loud answer to the question - 'Would Jesus Discriminate?' It is a sad fact that many people actually feel this way and rightly so! The church does discrimintate. In fact everyone discriminates! We all do it dont we, in some way shape or form, whether its over colour, race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, or even people who dont like to eat meat, people who dont wash and smell, people who wear shabby clothes, people who dont speak the language we do properly, people who cant read or write, people who seell big issues.... people with weight problems, big or small, addicts, ex-offenders, children, babies.... bla bla bla bla... we can all do it. But the worst offenders have to be the church! 'The establishment church' that is... not any particular one church. Reason being, the rest of us mortals are just doing our best and muddlling through, but the worldwide organisation who represents the inclusive, liberating and life changing gospel message of Jesus Christ, has a duty to represent it accurately and clearly they fall very short of this mark! Most of the time. This is the reason I choose to worship as part of an MCC congregation and have done so - in various MCCs for 15 years. Not because of my gender or my sexuality, but simply because MCC strives to be inclusive where others are exculsive. Seeks to welcome and lead people to God where others have hurt them and sent them away, for whatever reason. 'Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God' Romans 8:39 MCC reminded me that this scripture applies to me! And it applies to everyone of you out there too. Now I'm not saying that MCC always gets it right!... far from it, human beings run it! However, it certainly seeks to embrace and empower people whoever they are, into the light and love, and grace of a relationship with Jesus Christ and to introduce them to all the richness of diversity within God's realm. I regularly have people say to me 'Oh thats the Gay Church isnt it?' How ridiculous! How can a church be Gay? Yes of course there are LGBT people in the congregation, just as there are in any church. The difference is not that MCC has a high percentage of LGBT people in the congregation. The difference is that MCC as a church embraces sexuality, gender and diversity as a gift from God. Recognises that there are many many different gifts along that spectrum and that all are created in the image of God, who looked upon them and said 'It is very very good!' And MCC succeeds daily in this goal of celebrating diversity, through excellence in worship and fellowship, teaching and challenging its congregation into new understandings and spiritual growth. I wouldnt still be there unless it did! The reasons I went there all those years ago are still the same reasons that keep me in MCC today! Dont take my word for it, or anyone elses.....Check out MCC for yourself - there's one near you! Love it! Love God!

Fears....

I was chatting to someone recently who told me that they'd spoken to some young LGBT people in Bournemouth, who said they were wary of the groups of youth who congregate in the Bournemouth town area at night. This is very sad, that people have to feel threatened by other people who live in the same town. Does this happen where you live? What on earth is going on in people's minds? I wish there was something we could do to combat this sort of ridiculous nonsense. Tell me... do you feel threatened or at risk when you are out and about? Especially from homophobic attack? Have you been the victim of an attack or threatening behaviour? If so did you report it? Would you report it? I'm interested to know, if you feel like you have any support in this area, and what could be done better in your views, to prevent and or correct people's behaviour in this issue?

Work?

So how do you find it in the working world? I think it is really difficult to get a job as a young person these days. You either aren't old enough, or aren't qualified enough or don't look right or speak right or 100 other reasons why employers find it easy to NOT employ you. I'm not certain what the answer is. In most towns, the job centre seems pretty useless. They don't seem, very encouraging when you go in and lets face it it's not the most pleasant place to have to go. Connexions seem pretty useless as well - in the experience of most young people whom I have spoken to. They will advise on education and employment issues, although they don't seem to have provided much in the way of practical support, they have given good advice. I'd be interested to know, if anyone out there has had any success in getting employment under 18 or indeed over 18... in Dorset. Like, who in this area is open to taking on young people, and who isnt, and where anyone got some help?

Parents....

Hmmm.... parents! How does one deal with them? Are yours great, wonderful, supportive and loving? Or do you just wish you had someone elses? You know, I use to wish mine further, because things were just awful at home. And looking back, there are many things I have done wrong because of how my parents made me feel. But hey, they were just doing what they thought was best.... Wot!!!? I hear the scream..... I know, they drive us mad. And regardless of what they think is best, it isn't! We cant do anything right can we! How dyu feel about yours? Are they fantastic? Or is there room for improvement? How does it make you feel?....

Advice....

Why do I need advice from others? I know what I'm doing.... How does this statement make you feel. I think it is something we have all said, or thought at sometime or another. And people can be really annoying sometimes, when they try to offer us advice! But you know, its usually because they dont want us to fall into the same holes that they did!!! Are we good at taking advice? Or are we good at giving advice?

Wot the bible says: 'Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others.' Proverbs 12:15

So where do I look for good advice?...Seek advice from people who are honest and trustworthy. They can be counted on to give good advice.

And How do I give good advice to others?... When giving advice to others, pray before hand about what you want to say; words are like medicine, and should be measured with care. An overdose may do more harm than good! You will know in your heart what is the right thing to say, and what is in the best interests of the person you are talking to.

Wot the bible says: Fix your thoughts on what is true, honourable and right. Philippians 4:8

God's promise: I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8

Acceptance....

Do you feel that you are accepted by people? Either by people who know you, friends, family, colleagues or by people who dont know you. If you have come accross people who dont accept you, what was the issue? How did it make you feel? What do you think they should have said or done instead? Or perhaps you feel that you have been accepted by someone, and can share your story with us. Have you ever felt that you have not accepted someone? Can you share this experience?

So as a young Christian, how can we earn God's acceptance?..... Well actually, we can't! But the good news is, that God's acceptance is available free to you and to everyone. God completely accepts us, as we are, right into God's presence!

So what if someone has done something really bad? Should we accept them? Or if we have done something really bad, should we be accepted? Nothing we can say or do will ever be able to separate us from the love of God. In the same way, we should always love others. This does not mean that we should accept bad behaviour from people, or indeed that our bad behaviour should be accepted. But it does mean that we love and accept the people themselves, and that people should still love and acept us. God created us all, and that makes us special!

So what does the Bible say?... 'Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God' we find this in the New Testament, in the book of Romans chapter 8 vs 39.

God's Promise.. 'Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.' Romans 15:7