About CFC
A sanctuary and a dream
By Robert McKee
6th February 2012 | Category: Join the Journey 2012
Key Verse
Exodus 25 v 8
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”
Main Content
Central truth: God has a place of safety and re-creation for us...use it well.
What does your sanctuary for God look like? Is it a place where you can kick back and connect with God every day or is your sanctuary looking a little rough around the edges?
Fortunately with our own sanctuary there is no construction involved like in the bible reading. Our sanctuary is, amongst other things, a place of relationship where we can connect with God every day, hear from Him and be strengthened. And just as important, it is also a place where we can run to God with the things that we cannot cope with…with the things that make us fearful and anxious. So the first question is, “Have you run to God for help lately (before looking anywhere else) and if not, why not?”
I saw a poster of a beautiful sailing ship the other day, with the ship moored safely in a harbour. It really made me think, because the quotation underneath said, “A ship in a harbour is safe, but that’s not what ships were made for.” Our sanctuary can be a source of great strength for us but God means it as a place from where we can emerge, renewed and invigorated for the battle for those not yet in the Kingdom. Being safe and secure is one of the most amazing feelings God can allow us to have and it’s not something to take for granted. But eventually we must move out of that place of sanctuary into a place where we can fulfil our potential, live out our faith and be warriors in the kingdom. The second question is, “When did you last give a battle cry?”
How’s your dream
Someone who I met before the summer came round for some food the other day and without warning, and being the very direct person they are, asked me about my dreams. Did I have any and what were they? Oh flip! I realised in that moment that I had given up on some of my dreams. I heard my inner voice justifying this… ‘Robert they are just too unrealistic , my life is too complicated, too busy to dream … I can’t afford to dream like I used to. I’m too busy doing what has to be done in the now.’ But as I have reflected since then on what I said that day I realise that I really haven’t gone to GOD with my dreams lately. And surely, perhaps above all else, God wants us to emerge every day from the safety of our sanctuaries, let out a passionate battle cry and pursue the dreams He has placed within us. Hmmm, think I need to talk to God about this….
Consider:
What has stopped you spending time in your sanctuary? Is it worth you giving it another go? What do you have to lose?
What is on your heart for your local community, at work, in your family or on your streets? What kind of agent of change could you be?
Have you lost the vision/ passion/ faith/ dreams you once had? God wants to help you to dream again, so you need to be honest about what you have given up on.
Robert McKee
Hi, I am Robert McKee, married to Raquel for 20 years this year and father to four boys aged from 3 to 16 years. That is a full time job in itself (the father bit) but I also teach at a local school in the town I grew up in, and it is here where I am proud to be involved with a passionate bunch of people in the CFC Antrim church. Since last February I have been involved with the food poverty charity ‘Storehouse’ and I have become an expert at checking ‘best before’ dates, sorting cans of baked beans and trying to figure out where to stack that jar of marmite someone has randomly donated.
