Church: A Hospital for Sinners, Not a Museum for Saints
Explore the concept of the church as a hospital for sinners rather than a museum for saints. Discover how this perspective can transform our understanding of faith and community.
MONTHLY STATEMENTS
'A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.' said Abigail Van Buren. It is evident that inner journeys are the furthest. It is not strange to realize the strength in BELIEF as a son-in-law of FAITH. I remember clearly Rita Twiggs once prayed, ‘Lord I thank you for this gathering, I thank you for this day! I thank you for your purpose and for this place, for your people, for this preached word. I pray that you would preach us until you reach us, I pray that you would reach us until we preach you, I pray that you would help us to preach you until we reach others, I pray that you would help us to reach others until they reach for you and I pray that you would help us to reach them so that they may preach you.’ This prayer taught me to, according to a great pastor Richard - I quote, 'Reflect on my present blessings of which every man has many, not on my past misfortunes, of which all men have some.' 'You can be on the right road and still make the wrong turn. Don't let the bridges you cross be the ones your burn. If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits, there are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.'
When you recall the hurdles of great men of history, you are moved to go past every obstacle. An example of a great man of persistence who failed several times.
In 1831, he failed in business
In 1832, he was defeated for the Legislature
In 1833, he failed in business again
In 1836, he had a nervous breakdown
In 1838, he was defeated for house Speaker
In 1840, he was defeated for Electoral College
In 1843, he was defeated for Congress
In 1855, he was defeated for Senate
In 1858, he was defeated for Vice President
But in 1860, ABRAHAM LINCOLN became the 16th President of the United States of America. Whenever you feel like giving up, come back to this note and you will realize you actually have no challenge at all. You would rather die on your feet than live on your knees. Like Benjamin Franklin once said, 'Some people die and 25 and are not buried until they are 75.'
You could think its risky to keep going and listen to the voice of FAITH. But what is risk? If you want to avoid all risk, then;
Don't ride in a car, 20 per cent of all accidents are caused by caused by cars.
Don't trust your parents, first do a DNA test.
Don't invest, you may lose money.
Don't keep money in the bank, it may close.
Don't marry, you may divorce.
Don't travel by air, rail or water since 12 percent of all accidents occur from these means.
Don't have kids, they may die.
Don't sit on a chair, it may break.
Don't do exams, you may fail.
Don't stay at home, 19 per cent of accidents happen here.
Don't walk on the street, 16 per cent of accidents happen here.
Don't eat, you may choke.
Don't sleep, you may die in your sleep.
Interview every plane pilot and ask for their credentials and experience if you plan to fly public.
Don't use electricity, it may shock you.
Don't swim, you may drown.
If you are willing to continue taking these risks unconsciously, why not take relevant calculated risks that define your destiny and legacy? After all, you are never going to get out of life alive. I don't mean you should now start crossing the road without looking at either side, all I am saying is that avoiding danger is not safer in the long-run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Like Thomas Edison said, 'The best thinking has been done in solitude'. When you sit and think to make up your mind to change what you fear and embrace FAITH, you have then changed your life. The person who knows 'how' will always have a job. The person who knows 'why' will always own a business. You can do neither with fear. After Plato, no one that I have read of has been so retrogressive as to place it in the past, but it is often placed in the future. One can get there by either dreaming or over sleeping. What's your choice?
I wish you a prosperous February 2015.
Wellness always,
Tonny Rutakirwa,
Chairman,
Tonniez Group Holdings.