What's with the red wrist band?

As I said last week I see the Church as an nemergency room. Think about it, when you go to emergency, you check in and are given a wrist band to identify you. Then you are seen by a nurse and later the doctor comes in. The doctor hears your request, your complaint, he listens to you vent, He hears your whatever and then hopefully you allow the doctor to diagnose your life. What takes places is the most critical and sometimes the most painful. He begins to probe and poke and pull and peels back the layers and he begins to expose the wound and tells you what is wrong and what needs to change and what you need to do differently so that you can experience life fully.

I presume that all of us have issues. The interesting thing is that only you know what that issue or issues are. The church is supposed to be a place where spiritually sick people come to get well.

This last Sunday we issued red wrist bands to all who walked into Soul and encourage people to keep it on as a reminder of what the doctor (GOD) is going to do in thier life. It is a reminder for prayer, for discussion, to the fact that you are being real with GOD, real with each other and most importantly real with yourself.

The perscriptions that were issued yesterday were:

1. Taking responsibilty of where your relationship is with GOD.

2. Identify the barriers that are keeping you from GOD.

3. Establish time with Him. Read the scriptures, pray, get in a life group, serve and be prepared for worship.

Sounds so basic...........

Thoughts?

A Letter from overseas!

(I occasionally get letters from my friends in Indonesia. Here is one that I would like to share with all of you who have taken time and effort to support what we do in Indonesia.)

Hi, Pastor Gerry!

It's me, (name omitted for personal reasons) from Indonesia, the girl who receives HSM Scholarship.

How are you??

btw, i cant find you on facebook. please email me the link.

i read your blog a few times. i've read the golf tournament announcement too.

i feel very flattered.

i feel like i can't thank you enough for the differences you have done in my life.

the thought of studying in my current university was almost impossible back then.

we are starting a new semester now.

actually, my gpa declined a bit last semester.

i was very disappointed.

i've accepted and learned my mistake and now i'm struggling very hard to get more A's.

i'm trying to change my habits. i'm now living a more organized life. i tidy my room and list my schedules. i also do the homework far before the deadline, something i didnt do before. procrastination has always been an issue for me, to be honest.

the university has been kind enough because they transferred the rest of the scholarship into my account, so that the scholarship can be further used for my life expenses.

i can subscribe for an internet connection in my room now. hopefully it can be helpful towards my study and social life. :)

i met a new professor in my class whom i like very much. she just graduated with masters degree from one of the university in south korea.

she gives unusual lectures difficult tasks, but she inspired me a lot.

she told us how she could get a scholarship from south korea.

i want to be like her. so i must study more seriously from now on and practice my english more.

i like your blog. i can learn english by reading your blogs and translate some difficult phrases using translate.google.com. lol

you have a modern thinking as a christian, and that's very interesting because in most christian websites, i find boring conservative texts that i've heard or seen many many times.

keep on writing, sir!

you never know how much it can help others :D

anyway, if you have time, i would like to hear from you about your church and your kids.

maybe i can suggest your church activities to be applied in my church.

hope to hear from you soon!