Our church has been doing some marketing for Christmas this week. I wasn’t sure it would all work out, but I placed it in God’s hands and so far it is moving along. We are sending out 15,411 postcards to a three mile radius around the church location. We are using the same marketing company the Chamber of Commerce is using and they have been very good at working with us in our first huge mailer. What was interesting, was going to the post office to fill out a non-profit. This morning the local news said, today, December 19th, was the busiest day of the year to deliver mail and yesterday was the busiest day to have people come and ship out their mail. So here I was in the Des Moines, Iowa Post Office on one of their busiest days of the year and this guy walks me through all the guts of Iowa’s largest Post Office. He showed me huge sorting machines and ones that sniff out drugs . I wasn’t just at the desk buying stamps (which by the way postage for over 15,000 mailers takes a chunk of change) I was where they were sorting Christmas cards and packages that were going all over the place. Though the church postcard is big to us, it’s nothing compared to the millions, or billions of mail that goes out every day. It was humbling. But here’s what is really humbling. God sent his messengers, angels, to proclaim the good news. It was sung out to some lowly shepherds about a young couple stowed away in a stable. God has some pretty amazing ways to get the word out. I hope and pray that you are getting the word out. Crossroads is doing it’s part in central Iowa.Jesus is born! God’s own Son is our greatest gift! Merry Christmas – get that Word out!
Fame
Well I have had my first week of being a limo driver. Got the license a few weeks ago. It took two attempts though. I flunked before I got out of the DOT parking lot the first time. Not a good enough stop.Anyway, the past few days has been the debates in Iowa for presidential candidates. I have been through security and seen some of the candidates up close. But mostly I have been driving the support for the candidates and a radio and tv personality that was in town the same day as the Republican debate. What’s interesting is fame. Some people think they are pretty important. Self-induced I believe. “Hi, my name’s ___________”. And I just gave them the blank deer in the headlights look. I didn’t know who he was. What’s really good to see is some of the candidates (I did watch all 90 minutes of the debate last night) being as humble as they can. I think the media (and the world has bought into it) has made fame a terrible thing. We used to respect the rights of the movie stars and the politicians and big wigs of the world. Now we terrorize them with photographers hanging out at there private locations. And admittedly some of the celebs have liked the limelight. But my point is FAME has taken an ugly turn for the worst in our world. So my attempt this week is simply to serve. I may know the client in the back of the limo and I may not, but the person is a person and deserves my respect, even if I don’t agree with their politics or religion or whatever. It’s not just the job of serving, but it’s spiritual. God has called us to serve. Jesus set the example with a towel and basin of water and asked us to go and wash people’s feet. Wouldn’t that be a hoot if a washed the feet of my client’s. But I am, not just in opening the door for them or driving them where they need to go, but by respect and honoring who they are – fame or no fame. Who are you serving? And why are you serving them? Is it just a job or is it a higher calling?
