I don’t know about you, but in my homechurch, we have this habit of what we call „casting lots “.
But don’t worry, it is not really about casting lots, it is basically almost the same as probably every church in the world has, when somebody prepares numbers of encouraging verses from the Bible, for the following year, prints them out and you can just take one as an encouragement for the new year when you are on your way out from church.
Well, in my home church, we don’t print out only encouraging verses, but also “harsh” ones… That’s the twist
So, you might get something like “You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean”
Or I remember one time our elders after quite difficult year with lots of internal squabble and hassle got a verse “Forsake your foolishness and live and go in the way of understanding” from Proverbs.
I have never seen my dad with such a big smile as then, ever.
Now in my home church we don’t take this lightly, we pray before we start with “casting lots” and also, it is not a private matter.
You have to read out loud what you got.
And sometimes you have to bear the following comments and “insight” from your fellow brothers and sisters about how accurate your very harsh verse is and how you needed that slap from our Lord.
If you are lucky, you only get a big laugh (without any comments).
And yes, even pastors have to do it. They are not excused from this and their verse gets lot of attention
Therefore, we are together from evening till at least 3.00 am. My home church is however small. Around 50 members or so.
It happens very often that we don’t understand why we’ve got a certain verse, but through the following year we usually see very clearly that it was accurate. And then it is very encouraging to hear my sisters’ and brothers’ testimonies about it.
If I get a good one (verse), I might share it with you later
But don’t worry, it is not really about casting lots, it is basically almost the same as probably every church in the world has, when somebody prepares numbers of encouraging verses from the Bible, for the following year, prints them out and you can just take one as an encouragement for the new year when you are on your way out from church.
Well, in my home church, we don’t print out only encouraging verses, but also “harsh” ones… That’s the twist
So, you might get something like “You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean”
Or I remember one time our elders after quite difficult year with lots of internal squabble and hassle got a verse “Forsake your foolishness and live and go in the way of understanding” from Proverbs.
I have never seen my dad with such a big smile as then, ever.
Now in my home church we don’t take this lightly, we pray before we start with “casting lots” and also, it is not a private matter.
You have to read out loud what you got.
And sometimes you have to bear the following comments and “insight” from your fellow brothers and sisters about how accurate your very harsh verse is and how you needed that slap from our Lord.
If you are lucky, you only get a big laugh (without any comments).
And yes, even pastors have to do it. They are not excused from this and their verse gets lot of attention
Therefore, we are together from evening till at least 3.00 am. My home church is however small. Around 50 members or so.
It happens very often that we don’t understand why we’ve got a certain verse, but through the following year we usually see very clearly that it was accurate. And then it is very encouraging to hear my sisters’ and brothers’ testimonies about it.
If I get a good one (verse), I might share it with you later
-
1
- Show all
