The Words of the Cooper Family
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The Words of the Cooper Family |
Unleash God into your life -- This is the theme for our March 2011 series at 43LG. We set out our community goal for 2011:
To achieve growth through a radical change in our behavior, life style, and community culture -- creating a significant shift towards going out to people rather than expecting them to come in. That applies with in our community as well as in regard to how we relate to our neighbors, friends, and colleagues. (Yes, it's the home church strategy and ethos that we are still exploring.)
Bringing God into our life is often a practical task. So, we are placing an emphasis on having a clear task at the end of the message for us to work on and thus connect the rest of our week to Sunday. Three weeks ago we asked everyone to write down a list of 7 people and pray for them for the next 7 days. One guy who works in construction decided to walk home from work. He wanted more time to pray for his mother (who was sick) and his sister. He was working in Bromley and he lives in Fulham.
It took him three and a half hours, and a few times he really felt like getting on a bus….But, he didn't because this walk was not for him, but for someone else, his mother and sister. That night he had a vivid dream in which he met his mother on a bridge and they spoke together. He woke up with tears in his eyes, actual tears. His mother also called him the next day to say she was thinking not to go the hospital because she was feeling better. He encouraged her to still go.
The message on Sunday had made the point that through prayer our relationships with people can be transformed in a way that is not possible when God is left out. But the real point was that someone went away and put those nice words into practice. He put it to the test and was able to testify more powerfully than the sermon giver. Every time something like that happens in our community it's a sign of growth.
We need practical steps to link up our nice visions, beliefs, and values, to what goes on in our daily life. Why, because that is when God's word comes alive.
Last two weeks we have been exploring how when we find our Cain or Abel we grow faster and go much further in life. Properly applying what Unificationists call the 'Cain/Abel' relationship in our life is key to unleashing God's presence into our human relationships. It is simply about being able and willing to learn and also to be able to provide learning. Both can be very hard to do at times. But if we make this the culture and habit of our daily life we will race ahead in every respect.
This principle is universal and applies to every field. Last Sunday we mentioned how Sir Alan 'the apprentice' Sugar, someone who never received a formal academic education, successfully applies this principle through his ability to surround himself with educated people. He is not afraid or put off by people better than him.
But the area where we are truly tested in applying this principle is when it comes to matters of the heart, becoming bigger people, and becoming people of profound faith. Then the willingness to be mentored and to mentor others becomes a significant challenge, but one worth taking on if you want a more meaningful life.
Success in ANY area starts with being humble enough to seek advice from those who've already done it. See Proverbs 13:10
Have a daily awareness of who you are being given the opportunity to learn from, if you are observant and open you will be surprised how many opportunities are out there and from people you would never expect to learn from.
Actively seek out the best way in which you can come into a situation where you can help another person experience learning which will improve and enrich their life.