Connections Archive

Dr Bruce Manners
Senior minister, Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church

If church was a circus, where would you fit? Not too many would be up on the high wire, not too many would tackle the trapeze, but there'd be a few clowns.

There'd be tricks to learn, skills to develop and regular training. There are also other tasks to take on to help make the circus a success: pitching the tent; feeding the animals; and setting up the equipment.

There'd be specific roles: the tent master; the ring master; and the master of clearing up what comes out of the south end of north facing elephants. Some roles are with status, some without.

Each member of the circus is necessary to make the circus function.

I imagine there are performances when everything goes absolutely right. There's excitement among the performers and the crowd. Together they experience a high.

For some reason I was thinking about this after coming back from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in northern New South Wales's annual camp meeting. Maybe it's a tent thing.

Two things came to mind. The first was how, coming back from a spiritual retreat, you can be on a high. Then some realities hit. Maybe it's tension at home that kills the high, or a crisis, or, simply, life.

Highs are often followed by lows before stability hits. That's natural. The psalmists discovered God's still there--in highs and lows.

Then, you often find people at spiritual retreats, and elsewhere, who appear as giants of the faith, and you're challenged by what they are. You want to be like them.

Unfortunately, it can be a bit like elephant boy (the master of clearing up) wanting to be the trapeze artist. If he has no sense of balance, it's never going to happen.

Of course, we learn much from giants of faith. And their challenge can help us grow. But we also need to remember we're not called to be someone else, but to be what God called us to be.

If church was a circus, our Ringmaster not only knows what our specific role is, but He has gifted us to do it (see 1 Corinthians 12). That's who we should be.

CALENDAR
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21
Worship: Meeting with God
6 pm, Prayer Room, Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23
Seminar: Craig Hamilton, "Broken open"
9 am, Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church
Craig is a presenter on radio station 1233 ABC Newcastle, motivational speaker and writer. He will be speaking about his battle with bipolar disorder and taking your questions.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24
Worship: 7.28 (Alisha Fenwick, "What are we waiting for?")
7.28 pm, Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church
Alisha is a first-year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching student.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
Worship: Dr Lyell Heise, "What's in the box?"
11 am, Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church
Lyell is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Theology. First-year theology students are coordinating the worship service. Note: Joash Bucket Offering this week.

Concert: Seriously Jazz
8 pm, Chan Shun Auditorium
Featuring: Adrian Cunningham Quartet. Fundraiser for third annual Mozambique mission trip organised by Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church-based young adult group Regeneration. Cafe service and support artist from 7.15 pm. Tickets: $25 (Family); $10 (Single); $5 (Child); $90 (Premium seating cafe table reservation for six including refreshments). Phone 4980 2148 or 0408 732 183 to book.

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