Is it time to refuel?

I would like to continue the theme I wrote about last week, drawing parallels between churches and what happens at an airport.  When an airliner parks on the apron after landing, there is a carefully timed sequence of vehicles that pull up to the aircraft, performing three main functions before its next flight:

  • Refuelling - usually with a fuel truck pulling alongside the wing and running a hose into the fuel tanks;

  • Luggage - often with two 'road-trains' of vehicles taking off the incoming baggage and putting on the outgoing;

  • Catering - with trucks removing the debris from consumed in-flight meals and delivering new ones.

Once all these tasks are completed, the crew and passengers are able to fly to their next destination.

'But what's all this got to do with church and life?', you may well be thinking.  A friend of mine used to lead a church with the mission statement "bring them in, build them up, send them out", and I've given thought lately to the ways in which people can be built up.  People sometimes comment to me on how church feeds them in various ways - spiritual, emotional and mental as well as physical.  The Bible itself and Bible-based ministry provide good 'diet' and 'exercise', equipping people to go out into the world.  Perhaps your new year resolutions included something about physical diet and exercise.  I wonder - have you considered church, and exploring the Bible?  It's a great and unique book.