For those that don't know, Lorie and I have a mini-zoo in our backyard. Basically it's a bird-feeder and corn (and the odd peanut), but we've gotten attention from the locals. There are at least four chipmunks around our house, a family of squirrels, another family of rabbits living under the bushes next door, raccoons and countless birds. It's fun to watch them in the mornings.
For the past few weeks, we haven't put any food out. With me gone on the mission trip, Lorie in Illinois, our trip to Toledo, etc. we just didn't put anything out for them to eat. And of course, they all vanished. So a few days ago we finally restocked everything and this morning, of course, over a dozen birds and a few four-legged friends were outside. It's very simple to find animals. Follow the food.
A basic principal of life. Animals live around, hang around, stay around where there's food. And it's no different for us. There's a reason that most older cities are on some sort of water (how many American cities have a river running through them). We like to be where our needs are met, where the food is.
I think the church is the same way. (As I type this, a squirrel just came to the deck doors looking for more food). People need their souls to be fed. How that looks is different for everyone, and sometimes churches need to feed people their vegetables even when they don't want to eat them, but all in all, I hope that our church is feeding people. We can't be simple entertainment, there should be sustenance, followed by growth.
After all, even Jesus used food as an analogy for His role in our lives...
John 6:35 ~ Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever." (MSG)
T
No comments:
Post a Comment