I'm not a cookie, so don't use a cookie cutter

Passion, fire, and zeal are all wonderful things when we have a sense of calling and direction from the Lord. However, my fire is my fire. My cross isn't your cross. I don't impose it on others. I only try to dump the lighter fluid on the unified fire we are to find in Jesus under our collective butts.

We are all one body, but intentionally not all the same body part. Our zeal is great to display for others, but don't try to force others to be zealous about your calling. Encourage others to find their fire in their belly for God, not your fire in your belly. Your belly is yours, not theirs, unless you’re pregnant.....I digress...

The point is clear (that I have food on my mind). I'm not a cookie, and you're not a cookie. If you think you might be, call me up and I'll come over and eat you. :-) Since none of us are cookies we don't need cookie cutters. But why then in our churches are we acting like we need programmatic cookie cutters? Is our goal to pump out product like a business? It seems that way sometimes. I want to see transformed people, not some oozed out burnt out product. I swear I've sat in too many planning meetings where people are spoken of in terms of product, output, dollars and cents, or the Big 3, budget, bucks and building. What end are we trying to achieve with such a mindset! Give Jesus at least a little room to breath and operate!

Let us rather encourage HUMANITY. Let us call originality our sister and hold to unity. We can seek creativity and call her our mother and stand united. We are one body, many parts. We are people, not components, and not machine parts to make an American picture of church 'work.'

We aren't cookies, and Jesus is bored by cookie cutter Christians. Everybody is to bring their zeal, their passion, and their fire together. And together we can create a one huge bonfire for the Lord. Let us press on together as one, and write our pastors and leaders to throw away their cookie cutters. And dare I say our idolized cookie cutter programmatic way we think about and do church, education, our beloved programs. May they R.I.P.

Let us resurrect a new people. Yes, I said people. We are people, not machines to be installed into the 12 week study. And no, Jesus couldn't tell you how to find purpose in 40 days. He simply said, "Follow me."

Can you dig what I'm saying? Responses please...