... Part: 2The Gospel story is a picture of God colouring vigorously 'outside the lines!'
The picture doesn’t always look like we think it ought to. Listen to Isaiah’s words: “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Is. 53:1- 3
God's presence and mission will unsettle and disturb us. Its sends us ‘outside the lines’ – to people outside our walls; to do things we’ve never done before; to take risks that may cost us everything.
Our calling is this:
- To live and serve together as followers of Jesus
- To bring wholeness and health to our community
- To help people find and follow Jesus
How might we begin? Here’s some ideas:
Some time ago, our household decided to watch the film ‘Tangled.’ Though we joked around about la-de-da cheesy fables about fairy princesses, it was actually really well done and we actually enjoyed ourselves immensely!
The film is Disney’s take on the legend of Rapunzle; the girl with the long golden locks, confined to the top of an old tower by a wicked witch. In Disney’s version, Rapunzle’s hair is magical and can bring light, healing and life to those who needed. It is a wonderful gift from beyond the world.
The tragedy is that Rapunzle has been taught by the selfish old witch to believe that the world is a dark and dangerous place that will destroy her. So she spends her life inside her dark fortress, singing, baking, painting, brushing her golden hair but never venturing forth to discover her true identity. ... until a crisis drives her out!
Are we as God’s people like Rapunzle? Endlessly preening, keeping busy, but locked up in a high tower, gazing anxiously at a little understood world that needs the gift we’ve been given?
Don’t forget this wonderful benediction as we begin 2021 together:
“... God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guessor request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!" Ephesians 3:20-21 (MSG)
The picture doesn’t always look like we think it ought to. Listen to Isaiah’s words: “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Is. 53:1- 3
God's presence and mission will unsettle and disturb us. Its sends us ‘outside the lines’ – to people outside our walls; to do things we’ve never done before; to take risks that may cost us everything.
Our calling is this:
- To live and serve together as followers of Jesus
- To bring wholeness and health to our community
- To help people find and follow Jesus
How might we begin? Here’s some ideas:
- Believe that we are sent with unbelievably Good News for the world! Revisit your own story of faith. Ask God to ‘restore the JOY of your salvation’ – and then live it and proclaim it from the heart.
- Affirm that we are each called to serve! It’s not just the minister or outreach-worker, but all of us! To be a member of our church community is to commit to a team. Our workplace and our neighbourhood is our parish – we are to be salt and light there.
- View your job, your house and your money as a simply a means to blessing others. Learn to pray: “Whatever you ask Lord, whatever the cost, grant me grace to obey and follow.”
- Believe that the Holy Spirit is within you not just as an idea but with transforming power – and that you can dare to find courage and compassion outside your own strength.
- Set time aside to learn to pray and listen together. What is God saying to you? Then do it in faith – even if it means winding up or changing something you cherish.
- Read the scriptures together – not for ‘rules to follow' but as through a window to ‘see Christ more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly.’ Study the scriptures as you watch the daily news. How then should we live?
- Live simply: How do we spend the money for which we are but stewards? What do we waste? What does it mean to be local curators of God’s creation?
- Start small: For example, rather than a full meals program; why don’t you take a meal to the neighbours across the street? Rather than a big outreach event – why not a really long, deep, listening, conversation with the guy next door? Join the local basketball club rather feeling you need to start a church club! Invite some of the local school kids round to ‘hang’ with your kids rather than only giving them a youth group flyer! Join the local SES, CFA, school committee or playgroup; sign a petition to right some wrong; start a book club for your area and discuss non-Christian literature and film; check out when your Council sits; write a letter to the local paper; go golfing with your work mates and honour them by listening deeply.
- Change your lingo. Cross-cultural workers learn the language and customs of their people group. How do we 'churchy' types communicate? What do our forms of church gathering; songs; pews; language and musty halls say about how integrated we are into our neighbourhood?
- Covenant to live out virtues that show we follow Jesus. Let’s stop talking about church ‘values’ and replace them with ‘virtues’. What are the practises or faith-disciplines for which we can encourage each other?
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The film is Disney’s take on the legend of Rapunzle; the girl with the long golden locks, confined to the top of an old tower by a wicked witch. In Disney’s version, Rapunzle’s hair is magical and can bring light, healing and life to those who needed. It is a wonderful gift from beyond the world.
The tragedy is that Rapunzle has been taught by the selfish old witch to believe that the world is a dark and dangerous place that will destroy her. So she spends her life inside her dark fortress, singing, baking, painting, brushing her golden hair but never venturing forth to discover her true identity. ... until a crisis drives her out!
Are we as God’s people like Rapunzle? Endlessly preening, keeping busy, but locked up in a high tower, gazing anxiously at a little understood world that needs the gift we’ve been given?
Don’t forget this wonderful benediction as we begin 2021 together:
“... God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guessor request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!" Ephesians 3:20-21 (MSG)
Martin
