The Stones That Remain

In the dust of our crumbling institutions,

in the dust of our crumbling witness,

in the dust of our crumbling fellowship,

the Servant kneels and writes,

"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

And I gather the stones that remain

from my original allotment

and determine to build an altar

- regrettably smaller now that it might have been -

smaller for the want of wasted stones.

I gather the stones that remain

and determine to build an altar of worship.

Who will join me?

- by Terry W.York (from The Church Musician, 1996)

a poem about leaving our childish stone throwing behind

and using our energies for worship

Love vs Fear

A mother was thinking how to teach her 2 year old daughter to share a toy with her friends.

One day she saw her daughter fighting for a toy, so she came and talk nicely to the girl, asking her what would her friend feel if she grab the toy?

If she feels happy playing with the toy, wouldnt her friends also feel the same way if they can play the toy too?

And the girl learned...

Another mother was also thinking the same thing for her daughter.

One day when she witnessed her daughter fighting for a toy, she grabbed the girl, hit the girl's hand twice and scolding her for fighting.

The mother told the little girl that if she ever do that again, she will get 4 hits from the mother and not allow to play with her friends anymore.

And the girl learned...

There is no fear in love.

But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

~1 John 4:18 (NIV)

Lord, help me to obey you out of love instead of simply fearing your punishments...