Battle Ships verses Cruise Ships

The HMCS Algonquin. A true Battle Ship! And below - a Cruise Ship!

The difference between a church that's all it can be and one that's just "cruising" along is like the difference between a battleship and a cruise ship.

On the battle ship, everyone has a job, knows what they're supposed to do and does it. Everyone functions as part of the greater team and works for the common goal, whatever that may be. The goals may change and the reason for the work may change but the team doesn't stop working together. They continue to be ready to do whatever is necessary to get the job done - at a moments notice. They are always on guard and always at the ready. Whenever a new ship-mate enters the ship, they are given a job and settle in to do that job. There may be a "probation" period but the new mate is still aware of their function and how they fit into the whole. The entire ship can be counted on to do the job it is made to do. Working as a team the Battleship accomplishes what could never be accomplished as individuals working alone or in smalled "teams".

Contrast that with the Cruise ship. Passengers on the cruise ship expect to be served, fed, and pampered while a crew scrambles to keep everyone happy. The passengers just sit about and enjoy themselves and when ever anything goes wrong, they feel they have the right to complain about it because, after all, they pay good money to be on this ship! They don't take ownership of the vehicle or the purpose of the ship nor do they try to assist when things go wrong. Sometimes they even hinder the proper operation of the ship with their actions and/or attitudes. While the cruise ship is luxurious, it certainly isn't very efficient or purposeful.

The church that's aware of it's purpose and efficiently working towards that purpose is like the battleship. And the church that is full of people just sitting around and expecting to be served is like the cruise ship. No wonder the church isn't very effective in our culture - we're more like cruise ships than battleships.

This illustration comes from a book I read called "Culture Shift". It was written by two Pastors (Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro) - pastors of churches that are more like battleships than cruise ships (the churches - not the pastors). The book is for church leaders and helps us identify our distinct "cultural totems" and then transform our church into an entity that closely aligns with our God-given purposes. What I dream about is being part of a church that functions the way God intends it to function and impact the surrounding culture, the way that God intended. The cover of the book says that "real transformation is not about working harder at what you're already doing or even copying another church's approach but about changing church culture at a foundational level."

This book is a must read for any church leader!

Washing with SOAP

Every day I get dirty and every day I need to wash. Good thing, eh?

I use DOVE soap because, well that's what I use. It's not because it's got a "dove" on it and that represents the Holy Spirit or anything weird like that; it's just that brand of soap is what we bought the last time we bought soap.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I use soap to get myself clean which is a necessary and good thing. So when I came across this acronym it intrigued me. The acronym is S.O.A.P. and it stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer.

Basically, you read God's Word and then write in a journal one or more verses that you focused on in your reading - that spoke to you. You then write those verses in your journal. After that you write down why those verses interested you and what you "observed" about the verse that made it stand out. Next you write down how that verse Applies to you and your life and then finally, you write down a prayer that prays that into your day.

What's interesting to me is the actual acronym. Because I use soap to clean my body I don't offend anyone - at least with body odour anyway. I feel clean and refreshed each day. I can freely enter my day with the knowledge that, at least in part, I am ready for the day. If I apply this line of thinking to my daily Bible reading then when I use "SOAP" in my devotional time, I am cleansing myself of all the "stuff" that stuck to me over the course of my day. By reading my Bible and allowing what I read to penetrate my being, I am cleaning myself (actually, I'm allowing the Holy Spirit to clean me).

What I read this morning was:

You love what is right and hate what is wrong.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.

It is Hebrews 1:9 and what I took from it was that I need to be like Christ and love what is right and hate what is wrong.

Time to "clean" up my act!

Tootsie Roll Lesson

I have two cats. Chilli and Pepper. Chilli is the furry one and Pepper is the one with the eye problem. Both are good cats - as far as cats go - and have been with us for 11 and 12 years. They are indoor cats which means that they eat, sleep, pee, poop, and purr inside. Their litter box is in the basement of our home and they are both "regular" users of the facilities. For the most part they bury their stuff and as we use "clumping" litter, it's relatively easy to clean up what they leave behind (no pun intended).

We also have a dog. His name is Jake and he loves to bug Pepper and stays clear of the house-boss (Chilli). Jake is a typical dog and has to be taught what is good and what is bad yet sometimes he doesn't listen too well.

What's all this got to do with Tootsie Rolls? Well, Jake has this habit of going to the cat's litter box and enjoying what they leave behind. We think he thinks they are treats (Tootsie Rolls) because that's what they tend to look like. Every once in a while Jake will walk into the livingroom with a clump of litter hardening on his nose. We know where he's been! Yuck! No matter what we do to stop him from eating these "tasty" morsels he continues to seek them out and enjoy his snack. He doesn't seem to know - or care - that they are bad for him and that he's really just eating CRAP.

I have often wondered whether it's like that for us. Sometimes I find myself "enjoying" something that is bad for me - something that either God (through His Word) or others have told me is bad for me. I don't seem to care that what I am putting into my body or mind really is CRAP.

I think that the reason I find myself enjoying CRAP (Tootsie Rolls) is that I'm looking for treats in the litter box. God has provided a wonderful planet with all kinds of "good" things to enjoy and yet fallen humanity finds themselves going to the litter box of life to find enjoyment. The evils of this world and the attitudes that go with all of it are what I would consider the "litter box" of life.

For example; when we were living in the USA I was amazed that people would park outside of Porn Shops, get out of their cars and walk, in full view of everyone walking or driving by, enter the establishment. They seemed to not be ashamed of what they were about to "enjoy". They were okay with eating the tootsie roll from the litter box rather than enjoy the true tootsie roll that God set up in a healthy and God-honouring marriage.

I am so pleased with the gift that God has given me. I love her. God is good. She really is a treat! Thank you God for my wife! Why would I want to enjoy what really is CRAP when God has provided me with the best Candy in the world?

I wonder why we settle for a fake when the real thing is so much better. Are we just like the family dog? NOT! God has loved us from the start and when we choose to live for Him our eyes are opened up to all the good and pure things He has provided for our enjoyment. So, stay out of the litter box and get into the playground provided by a loving God. Stay away from what looks like a Tootsie Roll and enjoy the real thing. Find the real thing in God's Word and at a God-honouring Church near you.