Some jobs just can't be interrupted without doing harm to the entire project. Today I laid the tile for the bathroom floor. Once the thinset is mixed, it's work till you're done; if it dries out, it's no good. So, knowing that cutting around the toilet drain and its supply line is a bit tricky and takes extra time, I only mixed half a bag at a time. It was a good thing that I did; otherwise half of it would have set up before I was finished.
About 6:15, it was time to head to church for our men's and women's Bible studies, but I was in the middle of the job, so Linda went on without me. I don't like bailing out like that, but I had little choice if I didn't want to waste my thinset, which I didn't want to do. There really wasn't that much left to do, so I figured I could wrap it up in half an hour and get there at least somewhat on time. Time management has never been my forte. Linda was pulling in the driveway at 9:00 just as I had turned out the lights in the garage after cleaning up all the tools.
I like laying tile. I like seeing the pattern I've chosen unfolding before my eyes, tile by tile. I like the feel of the ceramic. But I don't like missing our men's Bible study. It's partially about the study, but it's mostly about the men. I've never understood people who worship hit and miss. The connection we've built over the years is a rare treasure. I've read the statistics. Most men can't name one close friend they could count on in a pinch. I've got a dozen and more. We talk. We laugh. We give each other friendly jabs. But we also pray and hold each other accountable.
Roman Catholic doctrine holds that there is no salvation outside the Church. In its purest form, this references the Roman Catholic denomination, and in this sense, I wouldn't be able to agree. But the word "Catholic" really means universal, and technically refers to the entire body of believers who comprise the Body of Christ. In that sense, this doctrine is absolutely true. When we are baptized, we are baptized into the family of God. Baptism isn't a private rite, "just you and me, Jesus." It is a corporate act where individuals through faith in what Christ accomplished in his death and resurrection on our behalf are brought into the sphere of salvation, ie. the Church, the Body of Christ.
The Holy Spirit we have been given is strictly speaking, the Holy Spirit of Christ. God doesn't spray the Holy Spirit around willy-nilly. The Holy Spirit while everywhere present, uniquely inhabits the Church, the Body of Christ. I've chronicled before the frequent difficulties I have maintaining a devotional life. Often, my Bible reading feels stale and my prayers powerless. But when I am with other believers, something in me is energized. There is a connection between the Spirit of Christ in me and the Spirit of Christ in my brothers and sisters that brings an aliveness that sweeps through me like the mighty rushing wind mentioned in Acts 2. Together, there is more than just two or three gathered; Christ is there too, just as he promised.
I missed being with the guys tonight. And I am so grateful for these men who build into my life, enriching it in ways beyond imagination. They are more than friends; they are brothers through whom God loves and works and speaks into my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment