Working together

With all the extra responsibilities I have taken on this year, I can testify to the strength found in a team. There is no way I would be able to put my hand to all the tasks that come across my path, without the support of others. I have seen the Body of Christ working together in many beautiful and powerful ways. One can gather deeper insight into Paul's message when he speaks of every member pulling together to serve Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:26-27 - "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

The same story is found to be true in other arenas of life - sport is a good example of this: 

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." - Babe Ruth 

Thought: Who is part of your team?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Strength together

 

The word 'Comfort' has many different meanings, which include: "easing the distress of someone" or "freedom from pain". However, I came across this definition which really speaks to me - Comfort means "strength together." 

If you have ever needed comfort then I sure you can relate to the idea of someone drawing alongside us in order to offer us solace and strength. We can rise from our periods of pain and despondency when we know that another person is there to assist us. 

Surely, part of the calling of being 'church' is that we comfort one another?

In our mutual journey of faith, we draw comfort from the words, actions and prayers of those around us. If we withdraw from community and fellowship then there is a danger that we have no one to comfort us.

Henri Nouwen wrote: "Comfort is the great human gift that creates community. Those who come together in mutual vulnerability are bound together by new strength that makes them into one body."

1 Corinthians 12:26 - If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Re-imagining church

What do you think the church will look like in the future?

I have been asked to share a few thoughts with a group of leaders on what it could mean for us to 'Re-imagine church.' This is with particular influence of the Covid pandemic and how we have all had to do church differently. For the purpose of this blog, I am deliberately choosing to use 'church' with a small "c", as I believe the global Church will take it's lead from the grassroots movements of the local communities of faith. 

As I have start applying my mind to this tough question, my gut response is this: "Our focus in the Christian community will need to be on the small gatherings of Christ-followers, instead of on the bigger worship gatherings." And this is not a bad thing at all - it will just take a shift in our thinking and how we analyse church. 

Up to about 15 months ago we got drawn into the trap of thinking a church was successful based on three criteria: 

How many people do you have in your church?
How many buildings do you have - what facilities do you have?
What resources do you have? Financial and human resources were a sign of a thriving church.

Is this a fair way to decide if a church is a success or not? If we measured Jesus on these 3 criteria, how would he have scored? He would be seen as a failure, wouldn't he?

Remember that the truest definition of 'church' comes from the Greek word 'ekklesia', which means 'the called out ones' or 'an assembly.' The Church began as a group of people, called out of the world, to recognise Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and then to follow him. 

Sadly, 'Church' has come to mean a physical space and modern dictionaries include this as part of their definition of what a church is. We should remember that the global Church didn't meet in official Church buildings/Cathedrals for nearly 300 years - we managed to do the work of God and follow Jesus without gathering in massive spaces. 

So, for this reason I believe that part of Re-imagining church is going to call us back to our roots. These roots included a few of these key ingredients:

They were small in number; 

undoubtedly filled with the Spirit of God; 

loving each member extravagantly; 

showing compassion to the community;

Mission minded;

living faith and not caught up in systems.

These are just a few of my brain-storming ideas on this topic. I WOULD LOVE to hear some of your thoughts on this. Please take a minute to respond to this question: What will Church look like in the future?

1 Corinthians 12:27 - Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Romans 16:5 - Greet also the church that meets at their house.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

New tasks

The last year has increased our capacity to deal with unwanted change and to equip ourselves with the skills need for new tasks. In the ministry I have had to learn to adapt and have often felt totally out of my depth and comfort zone. The reading from Acts 6 takes us back to a time when the church was expanding and they disciples needed to make some decisions and changes. They decided the following:

"Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.” (The Message)

While, they decided to focus on what they were equipped to do, they let others get on with the other tasks, in order to allow the church to flourish. This is always a challenge for us in the church. I have learnt to rely on the amazing gifts of God's people and to work together as a team - we all need each other in order to move the Kingdom forward.

One of the things I have begun to do is put a few of my messages, bible studies and podcasts onto a new hosting app called Anchor. If you haven't visited it before, please take a look when you have time. Thanks. 

https://anchor.fm/delme-living-in-grace

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Bound together during crisis

                                                

The one thing that Covid-19 has certainly done for us is to remind us that we are connected to each other in many ways. The fact that we are all experiencing some suffering and hardship during Lockdown makes us a little more sympathetic to our fellow human beings.

Reinhold Neibuhr wrote a beautiful prayer that captures our deep sense of community and how we should seek to deepen our understanding of one another. Enjoy this prayer:

"O God, who has bound us together in this bundle of life, give us grace to understand how our lives depend on the courage, the industry, the honesty, and integrity of our fellow men; that we may be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our responsibilities to them; through Jesus Christ our Lord."

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." - 1 Corinthians 12:27

Living in Grace

D3LM3

No hands, but ours...

This well known poem by Teresa of Avila has always spoken to me. It reminds me that God has entrusted us with a great task - we are to be his hands, feet, mouth, eyes and body.

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

 - Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Where are you being called to be Christ's hands today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Only 1

I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but
I can do something.
And what I can do, I ought to do.
And what I ought to do, by the 
Grace of God, I shall do.
- Edward Everett Hale

Let's do what we can. Our contribution will make a difference. Trust God for the results, but let's at least bring our gifts to the table.

Living in Grace
D3LM3