Super Bowl XXXIX and other ramblings

Hey, another Super Bowl in the books. We had a good time at church last night. We rented an inflatable velcro wall that the teens enjoyed, we also had some karaoke, and a dodgeball tournament. The dodgeball tourney was a last-minute addition, but worked out well. Alum Creek had about 30 people and the Assembly of God from down the road brought about 20. I was really excited that they came back again. Hopefully we'll be able to further that relationship, but I am finding it difficult to branch out to other denominations for many reasons. Life is so different inside each brand of church. They do things there way, and we do ours our way: that I've always known to be an obstruction, but it is more than that. They have their vocabulary, we have ours. They sing their songs, we sing ours (the instrumental thing is an obvious one, but not as big as just knowing the songs that each other sings). They have their unique problems, and we have our very unique problems. I know it can be done, but it requires much more wisdom and knowledge that I have, so hopefully God will be gracious here. If we could all just read Jesus' prayer in John 17 and really understand and really believe what it is he asks for from his people - then maybe we would get serious about coming together. Unity may very well be our best opportunity for witness in this dark, fragmented world. Who knows? Until we do know, I will continue on in my attempts with local congregations, and Christian groups. As I face the differences there, the differences upcoming in discussions with non-Christian groups becomes even more ominous. But the good thing about God is that he is that big. He can help me get through this struggle, and he can give the church the vision to get through it as well. I'm tired of the isolation. I'm tired of the bickering. And I'm tired of the unwillingness to work together. I'm tired of pastor's egos keeping them from coming together, and allowing the spirit of competition to infiltrate their ministries, and our churches. God forgive us. Thank you for the small doors you've opened here. Please break them open wider. Push us through them . . . to places we never thought we would go.

Adam