I like e.e.brinkers blog amongst others, because she challenges my little grey brain cells. My church ladies group are also challenging, should the Vicar drop in well there is exemplary behaviour, at other times?
At other times they they are well, normal. Most of them actually never set foot in the church, we meet on a week day evening in the church hall, and this for them is ‘their church” no fuss, no rules but a safe place to come, a place where joys, and troubles can be shared, a place where non-religious women can get a prayer on asking, and still feel they are your basic normal not religious woman. Every one of them has faith, and plenty of it, they just choose a different kind of church.
We make many choices everyday about all sorts of things. We would find life drab, and colourless without choices, and yet despite the huge number of TV channels, we can never find a programme we want to watch, it seems quantity does not always mean quality. There is one long running programme where 3 antiques are placed side by side and the audience are asked to decide which is basic (least value), better ( middle value), and best (most expensive). Of course the one judged to be best is going to be the rarest and possibly a great artist’s work.http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj2y
But would we always choose to pay a kings ransom for an object that we thought ugly, just because it was by a celebrity artist, or rare?
We go shopping and the shelves are full of goods with countless brand-labels. If you only have pennies not pounds to spend, you have no alternative. You have to choose the basic and cheapest. If you are a little better off you can afford better, or best. But, hey hold on there. Isn’t the dearest price inflated by all the TV commercials, that spoil our enjoyment of TV? And what about all those circulars and brochures that come unsolicited through the letter box and go out, unread into the recycle bin, isn’t that part of the price tag too! You can have too much information thrown at you.
In the shoe shop, or dress shop, along comes the sales assistant to help you make your choice, to help in our moment of confusion, beware if she tells you your size 7 foot will feet into a size 4 that , dear reader is not good advice. If stuck, unable to make a choice, we can always try confused.com
In John’s Gospel, (John 15:16) Jesus tells his disciples, ‘You did not choose me, I chose you’
Why on earth should He do that?
In Matthew 13: 45 He says, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls, when he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it’
When He came looking for for his fine pearls did Jesus pay for Basic, Better or Best?
Should we dare, as Christians to think ourself Best?
I think we should think ourself basic but He can build on that, we can all do better, and that to put God first Is best.
Churches can be places of too much confusion, too much information, too many advisors, perhaps that is why some choose basic, simple fellowship. The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love in a company where no one regards herself better than another and the cup of tea or coffee is styled as the best I’ve had today.
Fresh Whispers 