A Sermon and A Book

"Enough Breath for Thomas and for Us" was Patrick's sermon title for today's message. The theme was get out of your comfort zone and serve God. He talked about when he worked at the youth homeless shelter in Denver. Picture a dorm full of smelly socks, sweaty bodies, noisy voices, unrefined manners - not what you would call a comfortable environment. Don't just come to church to hear a sermon and sing some songs. Get out in the world and tell God's people about the risen savior. What Jesus wanted the Apostles to do, he wants us to do to.

The book is CURE FOR THE COMMON LIFE by Max Lucado. It might seem to be in direct contrast to Patrick's message. Patrick says God wants you to get out of your comfort zone, Max says God has a sweet spot created for you. You get to that spot by using the equipment that God gave you to do the work that you were created to do. The equipment is your personality, talents, disposition, interests, strengths, the things you like to do... When you are using your equipment to do God's work you are in the zone.

So which is it, get out of your comfort zone or live in it? I think it's a blend of both. God wants us to stretch and improve the strengths he gave us. Like the scripture passage where the master gives his three servants varying amounts of talents (I believe a talent is a year’s wage). He wanted the servants to use and improve what he had given them. So, you have to step out of your comfort zone to use your equipment to the fullest.

Maybe you love to ski. . God gives you a mountain and you ski. Or you love to cook. God gives you a kitchen and you create wonderful dishes. Then God calls you out of your comfort zone. "Go, take a group of children whose parents are in prison and teach them to ski." "Go, put on a banquet for the hungry people."

Think of the work Mother Teresa did. Could you do that? Me neither. But she loved it. God equipped her for that job. A reporter once saw her treating people with open oozing sores and said to her, "I wouldn't do that for a million dollars." Mother Teresa smiled at him and said, "Neither would I."

What equipment has God given you and how are you using them to get his work done?