Thursday, April 3, 2003
Thursday, April 3, 2003
All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain
women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
There are many reasons why people join a church, but I suspect the main reason is to be
around the people who love Christ. I know that's true for me.
Still, we are not all we ought to be. We are certainly not all God means for us to be. The amazing
thing about the church is that it has not only survived, but that it claims hundreds of millions of
the world's people in its membership. How did it happen? Where did the power come from?
Acts 1:14 tells us: "All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain
women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers."
(Acts 1.14
NRSV)
General William Westmoreland was once reviewing a platoon of paratroopers in Vietnam. As he
went down the line, he asked each of them a question: "How do you like jumping, son?" "Love it,
sir!" was the first answer. "How do you like jumping?" he asked the next. "The greatest
experience in my life, sir!" exclaimed the paratrooper. "How do you like jumping?" he asked the
third. "I hate it, sir," he replied. "Then why do you do it?" asked Westmoreland. "Because I want
to be around guys who love to jump."
Dear God, may I stay close to the fellowship and prayer of your church. Amen.
