Jesus

If you’ve read your Bible, you know that Jesus was the Son of God. He was also the son of Mary. He was God who became flesh, born of a woman. He is described in Hebrews 4 as our High Priest. And by my definition (those who love and serve God by obeying him), Jesus was also a church worker.

Giving him that description doesn’t demote him at all. He came to show us how to be what God wants us to be. He had to become human in order to get his point across. His sacrifice on the cross was something we couldn’t do. But his love shown to others was something he expected us to do – and continually get better at.

Today at Seek God With Me, I’m sharing part of what Jesus did while he walked in the dust of Earth. Join me and see another way of looking at our Savior and Lord.

Going My Way, 1944

Bing Crosby is Father Chuck O’Malley in this beloved story of a priest with life-changing love. Barry Fitzgerald is Father Fitzgibbon, a man who seems like an old grouch in the beginning, but accepts change in a heart-warming ending.

O’Malley is assigned to a new church and must help the older priest who is worried about the financial situation of the church he’s been in for decades. A group of boys need guidance, so O’Malley thinks up a creative way to keep them off the street.

Leo McCarey wrote the story before turning it over to screenwriters Frank Butler and Frank Cavett, who won the Oscar for Best Writing of a Screenplay. McCarey based the Barry Fitzgerald character, according to imdb.com, on Msgnr. Nicholas Conneally, pastor of the Santa Monica church where they were filming.

In addition to Best Screenplay, this film won six other Oscars including: Best Writing of an Original Story, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a supporting Role, Best Director, Best Music-Original Song, and Best Picture.

Melchizedek


Today at Seek God With Me, I am sharing the story of Melchizedek, another of God’s many church workers. We find out a few things about him when he meets with Abram.
 
Some people recognize that their names are like titles or descriptions of who they are. God selected Melchizedek to be a priest, but that’s not what his name means. Join me at Seek God With Me to find out more about this man who represented God to Abram after a battle.

Lilies of the Field, 1963

Starring Sidney Poitier as Homer Smith, this movie won its star a Best Actor Oscar, the first for a black actor in a leading role.

Mother Maria and the sisters are expecting God to build a chapel for them. However, they don’t have enough materials, tools, or manpower to get it done. When Homer Smith shows up to ask for water for his over-heating car, they take it as a sign from God. Homer almost leaves the women to their work, but has a change of heart and turns back to help them. But just for one day. The next day, he is again unable to leave. For several days, his mind is made up that he’s just passing through, but somehow continues to be persuaded that he should stay and help the women build their chapel.

When the chapel is finished, all those who helped build and furnish it could look on the success and enjoy having been a part of it. Except Mother Maria who was already looking forward to the building of a school and a hospital.

I love happy endings. This movie had a grip on me as I tried to figure out what would make someone stay and help the women build a chapel when there was a different plan already stated. Lilia Skala was perfect for the role of Mother Maria since, according to IMDB.com, she was Austria’s first female architect.

Poitier’s acting kept me interested in what he would do next. When he was unhappy, I was unhappy. When he was laughing, I wanted to laugh. No wonder he won the Oscar for his role. He was up against tough competition at the Academy Awards that year, but he earned every bit of that Oscar.

Jethro

The church is sometimes defined as a building, the whole body of Christians, or a group within Christianity. Therefore, the term “church workers” can only be interpreted by understanding its context. This month, I’m using the term to mean those who love and serve God by obeying him.

You and I cannot know if someone else is obeying God because God doesn’t check with us first before telling someone else what to do. We aren’t supposed to judge others, but we are supposed to help them.

Today at Seek God With Me, I am sharing the story of Jethro. We know he was a church worker because he was willing to help, rather than judge someone. He was a man who gave good leadership advice to someone who was trying to do too much on his own.

Some of us think we’re irreplaceable. We’re not. That’s a good thing. We show our wisdom when we learn from those who are wiser. We can learn to delegate responsibilities, which makes everyone happier. Check it out at Seek God With Me.