I’m not sure about you, but I don’t always handle interruptions from people well, especially depending on who it is or what I’m doing while it happens. Sometimes I can go with it, but sometimes I get very irritated. Because, as you know, interruptions don’t just affect time, they can also affect flow, focus, inspiration, motivation, and a host of other things, especially if we have a deadline.

Jesus, throughout his ministry, was constantly being interrupted. We see it when an invalid is lowered through a roof during one of his teaching sessions; we see it when a woman touches his robe while he’s on his way to someone’s house; we see it while he’s praying; and we see it over and over when he’s having dinner.

But Jesus never gets irritated or put out by these interruptions. He consistently stops what he’s doing to engage with those who come to him. Jesus always puts people first, before his tasks or business. There’s a lot I can learn from that.

More than that, though, is that Jesus always uses these interruptions as opportunities to teach about or show the glory of the Kingdom of God (which always results in the one interrupting being blessed). In fact, if you read the story of the paralyzed man lowered through the roof in Luke chapter 5, it even becomes apparent that although Jesus’ task was teaching in the house, the interruption was a divine appointment (pay special attention to verse 17).

Like Jesus, let’s begin to see interruptions differently, as divine appointments to see and show God’s glory, and to be fully present for those people or situations asking our time. This may mean we stop what we are doing and attend to them immediately or it may mean we schedule a time to meet with them later, but it never means that we brush them off. As we do this, the more we will come to see God’s hand in them, and to feel His promptings to respond in love and power.

One of the greatest killers of community is unforgiveness.

There can be a myriad of reasons we may harbour unforgiveness against someone, from minor things like “he didn’t put the toilet seat down again,” to the horrific like the continued Boko Haram atrocities, the Charleston church shooting, or Guido Amsel sending bombs to his ex-wife and their lawyers here in Winnipeg .

In church settings the effects of unforgiveness always lead to disunity; fellowship is broken, and I’ve heard of people going to the same church for decades and never speaking to each other. This is very sad, and extremely contrary to the way of Jesus, who at the end of His life prayed for our unity (John 17).

And while forgiveness doesn’t negate consequences (a forgiven murderer still goes to jail, a forgiven slanderer still needs to recant their words), we know that repentance or the lack thereof is not dependent on us forgiving. This makes it one of the hardest things we can do; and also, one of the most Christ-like.

But because we have been forgiven by God, God expects us to in turn give that same grace to others. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:14-15 sound harsh to our ears: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins,” but there’s really no way to understand these words except at face-value.

This week, before next Sunday, examine your heart and see if you are holding any unforgiveness or bitterness towards anyone; and if you are determine to forgive them. And keep forgiving them for as long as you need to, in the strength of God’s forgiveness given to you. It will be difficult, but it will be more worth it than you can imagine beforehand.

In case you missed it on Sunday, here is President David Hearn’s message. David will be with us on Sunday Feb. 23 in the morning. Also Sunday Feb. 23, there is a joint city-wide CMA worship service with David Hearn at the Church of the Living Hope at 6:00pm. Please plan to be there.

How to use YouVersion Live on Sunday mornings.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE ON SUNDAY (February 9)!

Please include a refundable deposit of $50 with your application.  If we don’t have enough applicants, we may need to cancel the trip this year.  A minimum of 10 people is recommended by IncaLink.

Need an application? Download one here: enCompass STM application 2014

Happy CNY! I bet Peyton Manning fans are hoping that the Year of the Horse brings good fortune to the Broncos (get it? . . . “horse”, “bronco”)

Here is the video from last Sunday.

Got Bible? Jan 24 2014 from enCompass Church on Vimeo.

Are you looking forward to Missionfest as much as I am? We are one week away from this awesome event. The magazine with all the information you need is here.

As we are one of the sponsoring churches of this event,  I wanted to point out a couple of things about this weekend.

1) Glendyne Gerrard is one of the speakers. She used to work in our district office and her husband, Doug, was our District Superintendent for many years.

2) Another CMA connection is Marie Ens. She is coming from Cambodia and will be bringing her choir and dance group from Place of Rescue orphanage.

3) There is a great event on the U of M campus with some of the Missionfest speakers who will be educating us about human trafficking. See the Facebook event here.

4) And, finally . . . this event cannot happen without volunteers and volunteers are still needed. Would you consider serving the church of Winnipeg in this way? There will be a sign-up sheet at church on Sunday. Children’s workers needed for Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon. Greeters and hosts needed for all events.

RIDING TO BRING HOPE

Love in Motion is a fully supported Ride across Canada to raise support and awareness for projects supporting many of our vulnerable and at-risk urban communities. Additionally, a ‘special’ motorcycle project will purchase motorcyles for agricultural specialists in Niger, West Africa. Bicycles and motorcycles will journey from Vancouver to Halifax (or shorter one week rides along the way) this coming June 30 through August 31, 2014. We invite you to join together with hundreds of like minded people right across the country – as we put our Love in Motion!

Read more about Love in  Motion here: http://www.loveinmotion.ca/

Sponsor Pastor Kevin here: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=2158178&langPref=en-CA