"your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done". (Part 2) Series

Your Kingdom Come, Your (2)...

The King and His Kingdom

Dismiss Grove KIDZ

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

– Matthew 13:44-46

Prayer

(the following illustration adapted from a talk by Brian McClaren)

IMAGINE – are you imagining MGCC?

IMAGINE - that you live in a country ruled by a cruel dictator. I MEAN - he controls the army.

He controls the government. He controls the media.

He controls the economy. AND - it’s a very subtle yet a very real kind of control. Everything is done in this country to keep you domesticated and compliant.

BUT - somehow inside you know that you are not free.

AND – this cruel dictator uses his media to,

tell you things like...

If your overweight you’re not thin enough

If your thin your not muscular enough

If your muscular you’re not smart enough

If your conservative you’re not liberal enough

If your liberal you’re not conservative enough

If your poor you’re not rich enough

If your rich you’re not rich enough

He uses his media to tell you that…

YOU DON’T: wear the right clothes, drive the right car, possess the right education, live in the right neighborhood, have the right skin color, use the right deodorant, own the right cell phone, have the right hair style (if you have hair at all)…

He tells you that…

You need more money… and to get more money you need a better economy.

To get a better economy your need different political parties.

To get better political parties you need better opinions. And to get better opinions you need to listen to the media more. And if you listen to the media more…

You’ll hear lots of adds that keep reminding you that you are not: thin, muscular, smart, knowledgeable, popular, rich or hip and cool enough.

AND – he keeps you in this little rat race of domestication simply by keeping you busy.

BUT - you’re real starting to get tired of this.

AND - you wonder if there is a better way of living.

You wonder if there is another place to live.

And every once in awhile you meet these visitors from another country. Who seem to be really happy.

I MEAN – it’s a real happiness and not the pseudo, plastic, painted on, photoshopped... kind that you are used to.

AND - you wonder why they would ever want to come to your country for vacation since your country is so depressing and they seem so happy.

AND - you notice that whenever these vacationers come they tell everyone they meet about their country.

NOW – you’ve never really paid attention before…

BUT - you start to listen..

LIFE – in their country sounds incredible almost too good to be true…. SO - you decide to sneak over there for a visit to check things out for yourself…

AND SINCE - your borders are tightly controlled… YOU - have to go through the mountains and on foot. YOU – sleep during the day and travel at night… IT TAKES – several days… BUT – eventually you get there.

AND SO – you visit this other country… YOU – walk the streets, grab a coffee and a sidewalk café’ , you sit on park benches… You watch, you observe, and you listen…

AND – you are amazed by what you see; It’s so different from your country… IN – this country they don’t...

Compete they serve

Hate they love

Look out for #1 they look out for each other

Use their tongue to put people down they speak words that others up

Hold grudges they forgive

IN – this country they don’t...

Point fingers they lend hands

Assume the worst about other, they assume the best

Become easily angered they listen

Look for what they can get but what they can give

AND - they don’t tell you that you are NOT:

smart enough, rich enough, pretty enough, talented enough or good enough.

INSTEAD - they tell you that you are loved and accepted, precious and wonderful just as you are

AND - there is a sense of reverence in the air in this country. I MEAN – you can feel it…

AND – it feels so much better than that sense of..

haste and rush and hurry and competition and cheapness and image management that you are used to….

AND - you notice that in this other country.

That the people who are last in your country; the handicapped, the sick, the elderly, the orphans, the less fortunate are NOT ONLY, not treated bad… BUT – they are treated with unusual respect & honor. IN FACT – they are treated like they are most important people of all.