“People who bore one another should meet seldom;
people who interest one another, often.”
C. S. Lewis
This past week marks one year since I joined a "book club".
“You will not find the warrior, the poet, the philosopher or the Christian by staring in his eyes as if he were your mistress: better fight beside him, read with him, argue with him, pray with him.”
–C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves - Friendship.
Here are some photos from a great book club that I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of this past year!!
I am so thankful that God in His mercy has brought me to this season!
This group now called "The Hallway" is a special highlight of my week! This year we have grown from 6 to about 13 members. God is teaching me how to trust Him and to trust others... which has been amazing and scary! Amazing, because you don't need to protect yourself... scary, because you can't protect yourself, you are vulnerable... harder than that though, others are vulnerable and you can hurt them! Scripture teaches us that "love always trusts" so in order to love others we must cease to worry about self and serve our Father and our brothers and sisters. Through that trust we then get to enjoy the gifts that our Heavenly Father is giving us in Himself and in others! God has used this gathering of friends to push, to pull, to stretch, to humble and to pick me up. I am learning that some things you fear the most can turn out to be the most freeing! So in the freedom of Love Himself... may we continue to grow!
5 comments:
Incidentally, your Blog name "Whispers speak loudest" just answered a long-standing question I've been working on especially hard lately about direct vs. indirect communication, how to use art to preach the word, how to engage the most beneficially in conversation with others, etc. So thanks!
That's cool! This kind of touches on a topic that’s been on my mind too… so let me fill you in because I’m interested what your thoughts are.
I was just having a conversation with some friends about how to preach the Gospel and how to share it through art. We watched the movie "End of the Spear" which had some controversy with Christians when released because the movie didn't clearly “speak” the Gospel message and the film makers cast as lead actor Chad Allen who is openly gay. The perspective taken by my friend in our discussion was that the film makers wanted to make more money, by (a) accepting gays and (b) hiding the Gospel message.
I see it opposite. I have been turned off by the “preachy-ness” and poor film quality of many Christian film makers; thinking that we can make movies poorly if we just say Jesus. Whereas when I saw “End of the Spear” it struck me as being well made; with words it "whispers" and with actions, consumes you with love. The missionaries in the story did not have much of a chance to speak the Gospel to the tribe before being killed. They gave their lives and through life and death, lived out the Gospel to these people. Christ said "they will know you are my disciples by your love".
It is easy to say “Jesus loves you” with words, where your actions say “but I won’t work with you if you are in sin”. In "End of the Spear" the missionaries didn't merely speak the Gospel...they lived it, and it seams to me that the film makers were trying to take the same approach in the making of this movie.
Preach Christ, and when necessary use words.
I guess my question is: do actions speak loud enough to justify whispers?
Below is an interesting interview with Chad Allen where he speaks of working with the film makers.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17011657/site/newsweek/
Crystal.... You have such a beautiful heart...And I just wanted to tell you that! God Bless you! I also wanted to agree with everything you said about the Hallway..... I feel incredibly blessed that God has allowed me to be able to meet with and have fellowship with people like you and everyone else who goes on monday night! Take care my love :)
Hey Amber! Thanks for coming by!! :) I'm glad that you have been so blessed through this special group too.
Thank you for your kind words, though I do not feel worthy of them!
UTM, your friend
Just wanted to say thanks for bringing attention to this wonderful group of people. I think for the rest of my life I will look back on this time spent with all of you as a time that was so defining to who I become. You are all so precious to me! God must really love me! Every single person who joins us, changes me. I am so thankful for your influence!
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