Curling

3“Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 
7So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

I’m seating in my chair this morning, drinking a cup of coffee and watching a sport that I can watch for hours.  Curling.  Every time that I notice that I can watch it, the TV automatically goes to that channel.  Having grown up in Arkansas and live in Alabama, I have no idea why this Winter sport is so engaging to me.  There is not a lot of Winter in either state nor frozen lakes.  I have learned about the hog line, the four rock rule and other esoteric matters associated with this sport.  It is a team sport that requires great strategy and teamwork with each thrown stone.  The “skip” calls the shot.  The “thrower” slides the stone.  The “sweepers” then take action and try to “curl” the stone the direction the skip has called.
By John Johnston
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons
Now my analogy may be a stretch, but I can see the church leadership; elders and deacons in curling.  As a church, we have the Lord Who provides the “strategy” as we seek to advance the Kingdom of Heaven as the “skip.”  Our elders “throw” the stone under His guidance to achieve the Kingdom goals.  The deacons “sweep” the stone and “curl” the stone as the Lord has directed for the Kingdom and His church.

Unlike the sport I am watching this morning, everyone in the church is a part of the team and is called upon to advance the Kingdom.  We may be asked to “throw” the stone, or lead, in a ministry area.  We may be asked to help in “sweeping,” or serve, in a ministry area.  We may be called to aid in “mining” the granite for the stones via funding or action so that there are stones to throw and direct.  In my analogy, we are all a part of the game.  No one is a spectator seating at home drinking their coffee.  We are all a part of the team to advance the Kingdom.

What part is the Skip calling you to play?


--Zine Smith

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