Boats

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Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals ...

Work and play

Here are some notes from a recent sermon in our Open Church service about work:

1) Work is not pointless. It is intended to produce food, store food or produce the resources to buy food. Proverbs 6 says:

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."

Just because we are Christians, does not mean that we have an excuse not to engage in daily work; we should not consider ourselves to be too holy for work. 2 Thessalonians 3 says:

"If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

2) Our work should be done as if we are doing it for the Lord and not for the praise of men. Ephesians 6 makes this clear. Daily work can be seen as a 'calling' and as such is important.

3) We are more than our daily work. There is also more to life than work. The Sabbath (which means 'stop') makes the point that sometimes things are finished, enough, sufficient. In Genesis 2 on the seventh day, God created the opportunity to step back and review His work and see that it was good. In a balanced life, we will have time and energy over outside of our work to evaluate, consider, think, re-charge. Psalm 127 says that the Lord grants sleep to those he loves; sleep is a gift of love.

4) Ecclesiasts 10 points out that fools are often put in positions of power. It is important to realise this so that when stupid decisions are made, they do not break you. If you become your work then losing your job or changes in your workplace will be able to powerfully affect you, your self-image and your self-confidence.

5) We can entrust our work and the situations in our workplace to the Lord. Psalm 127 tells that that our work is in vain unless the Lord is in it. Psalm 27 says that the Lord is our strength and that He helps us as we trust in Him:

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Het Water

Ik staar over het water

Dat net als ik

Ooit in beweging was

Peilloos diep en dreigend zwart

Net als wat ik in je ogen las

Stekeblind, oostindisch doof

Wil ik voor altijd zijn

Om maar niet te zien of kunnen horen

Dat alles is verloren

Zonder jou kan ik niet

Eten, slapen, lopen, dansen, leven

En dus blijf ik hier nu zitten
En blijf ik hier nu wachten
Tot het water ooit weer in beweging komt
En dan drijf ik mee
Tot aan de zee
Waar jij
Op mij zal wachten

De lucht is licht
En eindeloos

En zo ver boven mij

Onaantastbaar en toch

Zo dichtbij

Net als jij

Het staat in de lucht geschreven

Maar op m'n lippen blijft het kleven

Zonder jou kan ik niet

Eten, slapen, lopen, dansen, leven

Dus blijf ik hier nu zitten

En blijf ik hier nu wachten

Tot het water ooit weer in beweging komt

En dan drijf ik mee

Tot aan de zee

Waar jij

Op mij zal wachten

Ik staar over het water
Dat net als ik
Ooit in beweging was

Marco Borsato: Het Water