The Mess Before the Storm

Apparently it takes quite a bit of organization and planning to create a space for messes to happen! Who knew? (Well...actually, anyone who's ever worked a Vacation Bible School knows about the mess before the storm!)
My office is resembling a VBS-type disaster area. Too many people are walking by, stopping, staring, and then looking at me like I've lost my mind. Of course, it's been a great way to tell people about Messy Church since I feel obligated to explain the mess!

We're about ready to start our one-week countdown to our first Messy Church at Aldersgate. Our volunteers are working hard preparing activities and games. We've got our t-shirts in the works. And I've even started working on the NEXT Messy Church (Oct 27) before we've survived the first one!
Creating a space for kids and adults to make a mess, create, and explore definitely takes a bit of discipline, planning, and quite a bit of hard work. Seems like a contradiction, and yet, pretty much anything that demands creativity also demands a balance of discipline. Writers have to sit down and write. Painters need to set aside time to paint. Musicians have to practice. And Messy Church needs some preparation!
Discipleship is like that, too. God inspires us to create, build, live, love - but it takes discipline to follow Christ. Like everything in life, we have to find that balance.
I hope everyone is getting excited about Messy Church next Sunday. And I hope everyone is inviting friends, neighbors, family - whoever! Word of mouth is the best communication method we have. And if the mess before the storm is any indication, it's going to be a great Sunday!