kingdom

I came across a couple of postings today:

Kingdoms rule by power, might, wealth, influence. Editorial pages are full of speculation about the declining power of the administration of President Bush and the prospective administration of President-elect Obama. Names are bandied about for positions, and behind the names are the stories of influence, intelligence, success and the power to make change. Kingdoms work that way. Strength and power are attractive to us.
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus described his administration, his kind of kingdom, a different kind of kingdom. The kingdom Jesus promotes and promises is a kingdom characterized by one word: care. The hungry get fed, the thirsty are quenched, strangers are welcomed in, the naked get new clothes, the sick are cared for and the imprisoned are visited. And it starts now!

via jibstay

and then, I saw this post of how the Renew Community handed out ashtrays as they launched a training session for their house church leaders and asked three questions:

(1) What are you thinking and feeling when you see this?
(2) Why did I give you one of these as a house church shepherd?
(3) How can this object work as a symbol to remind us of our mission?

via broken stained glass

One of my mentors, used to comment when he spoke at a church...

I didn't see enough cigarette butts on the ground as I came in

It is so easy for the all of us to get caught up in our own perceptions - in life being about me - that we ignore those who are pushed away.

Advent, if it's about anything - is not about trees and decorations and music and food and all the other stuff [I'm not complaining... it's good stuff] - it's about how Jesus gave up all his rights and privileges for the sake of those [that's us] who can't make it on their own.