Lamp Stands

For those of you who have read Think Orange, or maybe for those of you who went to the one-day conference with us a couple of weeks ago, some of this may sound familiar. But as I was reading Reggie Joiner's book, Think Orange, in the first few pages I read something that I think we need to chew on a bit as leaders.

In the first chapter of Revelation, John compares the church to a lamp stand. Something I did not know about the lamp stand that intrigued me is that the lamp stand was always placed strategically as to show light onto the loaves of bread known as the "bread of presence." The bread represented God's provision and presence, and the lamp stands job was to cast light on what represented God's goodness and provision.

Wow.... you mean that is the primary job of the church? To cast light onto the table of God's goodness and provision so that the entire world can see God and who He is? It's not about filling our buildings and developing programs? It's not about us?!

Reggie goes on to suggest that perhaps the reason the church has an image problem is because the church has an identity problem. We've forgotten, sometimes, why we exist. You see... we don't exist to shed light on everything that is wrong in the world, or to try and solve and every problem.... we exist to focus our light so that others see who God is.

As we lead our students through this mine field of being a teenager let's remember that we exist primarily to show them God.... to show them the love that He has for them; to show them His provision and goodness. Don't move the lamp stand to illuminate other stuff...... let the lamp stand show light on the one thing that we all have in common....... a desperate need for a loving God.

I'm glad we're on the same team.