A little magic

I was reading a book today called “Learn Magic” by Henry Hay. I’ve always had an interest in the art of the magician and sleight of hand. When I was in Middle School my interest peaked and I became pretty good at a few tricks. My teachers actually allowed me to go around to the various classes, toting my magic apparatus along with me. I did shows for the classes and gained a bit of a reputation. Later my interest waned, but it has never completely gone away.

A quote from “Learn Magic” on page 25 struck me; Mr. Hay stated, “…by moving the left hand away while the right stays still. Anything that moves catches the eye; anything that stands still becomes part of the background.”

Now, intuitively I have know this for a long time. When deer hunting the emphasis when moving is to move slowly and quietly, and to remain as still as possible when not moving. A deer will catch movement in the woods as quickly as it will catch scent. If you don't move, as far as the deer is concerned you are just another part of the background. But when I read this quote my mind went to the church. We have had discussions of late with the Board and a few key leaders about growth in the church. As good as it has been, we know it can be much better. We’ve talked about why the growth is slower than we’d like, and this quote puts it into perspective.

Simply put, we need to be moving in the eye of the community. If we stand still, so to speak, we will just fade into the background. We need to get ourselves noticed in the public eye. How to do that? That is the question. It occurs to me that it almost doesn’t matter what we do. What matters is the movement.

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."

Colossians 4:5 (NIV)

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