Church Plants

Each week we are exploring one characteristic of Jesus and challenging one another to "truly" follow His steps. For many, wanting to be like Jesus is somewhat like wanting to go to heaven. We want to go, but we don't want to have to die to get there. We all want - or at least say we want - to be like Jesus. That's the goal, the call, the challenge, the ideal - and all too often the theory rather than the reality. We must ask ourselves the tough questions about what's keeping us from really being like Him! We must be real about wanting to be like Him! Last Sunday the tough question was "Am I willing to care for the uncared for?" Jesus was. I compared the uncared for to potted plants. They're there, we just don't see them. It's not just the unseen, but the unloved, ignored, rejected, and the unlikable (so we conclude). I don't intend to re-preach the sermon here, but, as happens regularly, re-mention something that has been bouncing around in my brain since I said it Sunday. Did you ever notice in the story of the Rich man and Lazarus (and it is a story not a theological treatise on the end of time), in Luke 16, that the Rich man knew Lazarus' name? When he pleaded for someone to be sent back to his brothers, he also asked if "Lazarus" could deliver a finger tip of water for his tormented tongue. The poor, sore covered, dog licked, starving man at his gate was invisible because he refused to see him! How many Lazarus-types do we past every day? Every Sunday? Every congregation has them. Just look around the audience on Sunday morning and see who's sitting alone - sometimes week after week - people Jesus would walk straight to, passing up all the neat folks, the fun people, the ones who look like us. You can see them anytime - but the ones who really need the togetherness - the love - the reason for the meeting - well, they're potted plants. Marching your family over to that all-alone-child-of-God, and including them into your circle of love would be the greatest act of worship to God you might do that whole day. Are we Being Real about being like Jesus? There are no potted plants to Jesus.