Archive for May 13th, 2008
Only in America: Church Holds $500 Gas Card Raffle
SNELLVILLE, Ga. – Praise the Lord and pass the petrol.
The First Baptist Church in Snellville, Ga., is fuelling its membership drive with a sign in front of its sprawling campus proclaiming “Free Gasoline.”
There’s a catch, of course. The offer is a not a giveaway.
By Greg Bluestein, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Instead, each time newcomers or members attend a church event during a Sunday-to-Wednesday revival they get a pink raffle ticket for a chance to win one of two $500 gas cards.
The church boasts a congregation of about 9,000, but church officials say only about 2,500 regularly attend Sunday services.
“We don’t know how far it will go with these soaring (gasoline) prices,” said Rusty Newman, the church’s senior pastor. “But (winning) it may make someone’s night.”
The church, like others, has long relied on special dinners and giveaways to draw in members, but elders wanted something a little more timely.
They set up a sign advertising the offer outside the church’s parking lot on a busy road near downtown Snellville, a traffic-clogged suburb northeast of Atlanta.
4 Minute Devotions: Small Fish in Jelly Jars
When I was a kid, I used to love visiting Springburn Park in Glasgow, Scotland. It had three massive ponds, full of sticklebacks, minnows, and perch. The park was about three miles from my home and, during the long days of summer, my brothers and friends used to walk to the park and spend all day there.
We each carried cane nets and empty jelly jars. As soon as we got to the ponds, we would walk around the edge trying to catch as many small fish as we could. By the end of the day, our jars were full of black, blue, green, silver and red fish. Just before we left the park, we would tip our jars back into the ponds. By the time we walked home, we would all be tired and head to our beds. Sometimes I would dream of catching more fish the next day.
Psalm 33:7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.
I’m fascinated with how psalmist describes God’s ability to gather the waters of the sea in jars. I guess he thought that the world was flat and that God filled up the seas from His heavenly storehouses. These days we would laugh at such a notion, but I like the image of God doing this. I can see Him with gigantic jelly jars, peering at all the different forms of aquatic life. I know that it isn’t real, but at times I wonder if God looks at our entire planet and sees a global aquarium and world-wide safari park.
I think what the psalmist was trying to convey was this: God is in control and rules over nature. Now that I can accept, for it is one of the true foundations that solidifies my faith. God is in control, so no matter what I go through or experience, He will have a grasp of the situation and grant me guidance when I need it.
Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the wonders of creation and the mysteries of the universe. You absolutely know everything that goes on in every place, every time, and every person. Thank You for being in control of the entire cosmos. Thank You for watching over our lives with interest, grace, and love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
