We Christians love excitement. Its not hard to pack out the huge worship celebration, or sell out the seminar with the dynamic speaker, especially if the teaching focuses on the more thrilling aspects of the christian experience; a prophetic conference, a gathering for healing, or teaching on biblical keys to financial security.

But while crowds teem into these gatherings, there's an altogether more rare Christian - and that's the one who stays behind after everyone has gone, washes up the communion wares, stacks the chairsand picks up the discarded rubbish on the floor. Others dash home, thankful that 'they' will clean up - whoever 'they' are.

Joanna was a clean up Christian. When Jesus faced death and hung on the cross, she was probably there with Mary and the others (matt. 27:55; mark 15:40-41). But then, when his life had ended, the crowds dispersed; the miracles and healings had come to an end. Now they went back to their lives, perhaps waiting for the next exciting thing to come their way.

It was Joanna, the two Marys and another woman who went back to the tomb of Jesus to perform some of the final acts of service they could do for Him. They had prepared spices to place on his body, to help preserve and honour it. There was still some unseen, background work to be done.

In their faithfulnes to the small things, that might well be unappreciated and overlooked by others, Joanna and her friends received the most exciting newsflash in the world. Are you and I a clean-up Christian?

Anyway I thought that really described the ushers. ( Not to say that everyone else is bad)

We Christians love excitement. Its not hard to pack out the huge worship celebration, or sell out the seminar with the dynamic speaker, especially if the teaching focuses on the more thrilling aspects of the christian experience; a prophetic conference, a gathering for healing, or teaching on biblical keys to financial security.

But while crowds teem into these gatherings, there's an altogether more rare Christian - and that's the one who stays behind after everyone has gone, washes up the communion wares, stacks the chairsand picks up the discarded rubbish on the floor. Others dash home, thankful that 'they' will clean up - whoever 'they' are.

Joanna was a clean up Christian. When Jesus faced death and hung on the cross, she was probably there with Mary and the others (matt. 27:55; mark 15:40-41). But then, when his life had ended, the crowds dispersed; the miracles and healings had come to an end. Now they went back to their lives, perhaps waiting for the next exciting thing to come their way.

It was Joanna, the two Marys and another woman who went back to the tomb of Jesus to perform some of the final acts of service they could do for Him. They had prepared spices to place on his body, to help preserve and honour it. There was still some unseen, background work to be done.

In their faithfulnes to the small things, that might well be unappreciated and overlooked by others, Joanna and her friends received the most exciting newsflash in the world. Are you and I a clean-up Christian?

Anyway I thought that really described the ushers. ( Not to say that everyone else is bad)