I DREAM OF A CHURCH

I was thinking. When Jesus was on earth, He was irresistible. People flocked to Him, Children loved Him, the sick wanted to be near him. Jesus was Irresistible.

I believe that the Church, being Jesus' Body and him the head, has to reflect that same irresistibility on earth.

As I look at our Church today and honestly ask myself -
IS OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH IRRESISTIBLE? Are we reflecting who Jesus is? Are people flocking to church? Or do they can't wait to get out of there?

I believe change is needed. The worlds needs the Church. But they will not darken the doors of the church if we continue to be what we are. Already we see an Exodus of our own young people out of our church.

I believe a generation of Spirit-Filled Catholics can make a change. We are the Future of the Church. What we are is what the church will be in the Future.

That is why I dare to say...


I DREAM OF A CHURCH ...


I dream of a church in the future that is Irresistible.


I dream of a church where everyone is passionately satisfied by Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit.


I dream of a church where every man, woman and child would rush in every Sunday. An environment so irresistible, there is no better place to be.


I dream of a church that is relevant to culture. That sees culture not as a foe but as a friend, not as friction, but traction for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


I dream of a church where people are real. Where perfection is not expected and grace is extended. Where we warm hearts and not pews. Where we are friends and not strangers.


I dream of a church where joy, not just knowledge, is the measure of faith.


I dream of a church where clergy and laity are equal, even partners.


I dream of a church where the Word of God meets Real Life. Where what is heard on Sunday can be used on Monday.


I dream of a church where the presence of the Lord is tangible and the joy of the peoples contagious.


I dream of a church where there are signs and wonders, healings and miracles, prophecies and deliverances.


I dream of a church that doesn't just have small groups but will be of small groups. Where people live shared lives and care for one another.


I dream of a church where character is the measure of maturity. Where people fear the Holiness of God, love Righteousness and do justice.


I dream of a church where every person discover their purpose and is released into ministry.
Where everyone is released to be everywhere.


I dream of a church that is irresistible to the lost, the hurting, the broken and the skeptic.


I dream of a church that is bold and dangerous enough to capture the imagination of the leaders, achievers, the artistic and the intellectuals of our society.


I dream of a church that change lives, impacts society, blesses the nation and touches the world practically with the Love and the Spirit of God



How?

We need to see a rising generation of radically God-Centered Catholics whose passion for Jesus will ellipses the pervious generations.

Students and young people so sold-out to the Kingdom and so broken for lives who do not yet know Him that they are willing to risks all. A people of great resolve to prudently challenge the present and forge a framework of a Future Church that will be able to speak in the culture in the most effective way possible. These people go on to establish communities and ministries that will embody the very blueprint of the future.

An Irresistible Church - as Jesus was when He was on earth.

It can happen. The Dream can become Reality. We have to start now.

One Generation. That's all it takes.

The Irresistible Church.

The BEST is yet to be.

ENROUTE VOL. 2


Welcome to another installment of ENROUTE.

Well, its the New Year 2006, time to stop writing '05'at the end of your dates and start getting used to writing '06'. I usually take about 3 weeksworth of cancelling and liquid papering before I finally get the hang of it. So all the best to you!

Here's wishing all our readers a Happy New Year! And should all acquaintance be forgot, you better check with your local brain specialist for a scan.





Recently, I realised...


1. that when you haven't jogged for two years, taking a deep breath at a traffic junction when you do is probably not a good idea.




2. that my new year resolution is 800 X 600




3. that it's important to note what God promise and what He doesn't. He promises we can be certain about who He is and we can be certain of our relationship with Him. But how the journey ofour lives plays out is full of uncertainties.

I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds my future.





4.That Magnifying God has two distinct meanings. You can magnify like a telescope or like a microscope.

When you magnify like a microscope, you make something tiny look bigger than it is. A dust mite can look like a monster. Pretending to magnify God like that is wickedness.

But when you magnify like a telescope, you make something unimaginably great look more like what it really is. With the Hubble Space Telescope, pinprick galaxies in the sky are revealed for the billion-star giants that they are.

Magnifying God like that is worship.








5. that how we see ourselves very often affects the way we respond to situations and people in our lives. If we spend a greater part of our time condemning ourselves and thinking that we are not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not rich enough, then we will most likely interpret everyone else’s actions towards us through that same condemning lenses.

I’ve decided to spend the better part of my time mediating on the goodness of God and what He has already said about me, instead of repeating thoughts that say otherwise.






6. that the great things of God come out of small acts of faithfulness.






7. that there is something about me (Cassilda), rats and cockroaches. (refer to Overseas Education Vol 7 Pt 2 & 10) http://creatsia.blogspot.com/2005/12/overseas-education-vol_113558869117433308.html

I’ve been coughing for over a month now. My colleague came up to me the other day and told me that she was waiting for me to fall sick because the whole office is so dusty and dirty. She then proceeded to kindly informed me that rats and cockroaches have been sighted making their rounds around the place. The spaces in between the cubicle dividers, according to her, doubles up as a toilet for the local roaches.

Now she tells me. I’ve been leaving my cup in the open. I’ve been coughing. Go figure.






8. That residents of Pasir Ris and Loyang are going to get their very own Parish.

“A new church is to be built and a new parish established for the 3,700 catholic residence of thearea” – Catholic News p.2, 8 January






9. that no good thing will God withhold from those who fear Him. Yes, you heard me right, God gives only the BEST to those who fear Him.







10. That knowing that my God is alive, authoritative, omnipotent, resplendent, revered, holy and glorious is awesome enough. Knowing that he clothed all that power and potential in frail humanskin, walked on earth for 33 years and died for me on a roman cross just defies all understanding.

“How could it be, you were the one on the cross? Lifted for all our shame?
How can it be, the scars in your hands are for me? You are the King of all!"
- MORE THAN LIFE, Hillsong

11. that what a marvelous thing a promise is!

When I make a promise, I reach out into an unpredictable future and makes one thing predictable:that I will be there even when being there costs me more than I wants to pay. When I make apromise, I stretches myself out into circumstances that no one can control and controls at leastone thing: that I will be there no matter what the circumstances turn out to be. With one simpleword of promise, I create an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty.

When I make a promise, I stake a claim on my personal freedom and power. When I make a promise, I take a hand in creating my own future





13. that in the ‘Spirit of a participatory church’, parishioners can suggest a name for the new Pasir Ris church.

I’m sorta in favor of using less popular Saints. I think Saints like Anthony, Francis are likesuper overexposed.

Here are some of my suggestions –

Our Lady of Ghisallo - She was made Patroness of Bicycle Riders on 13 October 1949 by Pope Pius XII.

Which I think is great for Pasir Ris residents.

St. Dymphna. - She is the patron saint of mental disorders and sleepwalkers. (hey, you never know..)

St. Bernardine of Siena. - He’s the patron saint of compulsive gambling. He might get quite popular in the future inSingapore.

St. Zeno- He’s the patron saint of fishing. Which is also quite good for Pasir Ris. But I just think his name is cool.

“Hey, which parish you from?”

“I’m from the St. Zeno.”

“woah..dude, Far out.”

“yah, quite lah. Pasir Ris leh.

ENRoute no Copyrights 2006 Leonard & Cassilda. All materials here can be downloaded, copied, borrowed or eaten.