As we read from Acts chapter two in Sunday School this morning, I was reminded in a profound way of the value that I should be placing on the body of Christ, my church.
The recurring theme of Acts 2:42-47 is unity among believers:
1. "They" devoted themselves to the teaching
2. Breaking bread together
3. They were together
4. They had all things in common
5. They were selling possessions to give away
6. They met at the temple "together"
7. They broke bread in their homes together
In our individualistic culture one of the most heartbreaking realities about our church experience is that there is very little "church" involved. Many of us could get the same weekly experience by watching the television or on the internet (and many do just that).
But the Bible pleads with us to set our hearts and minds on dependence upon one another. I should come to worship saying to all my brothers and sisters in Christ, “I need you…”
“I need you in order to fully understand God’s Word, because you have a perspective that I have missed.”
“I need you to understand what it means to worship God, because my appreciation for who He is and what He has done is not always what it needs to be.”
“I need you to help me understand Christ, the gospel, the cross, and the resurrection, because I continually forget all these things; and I need to see you rejoice over them so that I can remember.”
“I need you to confront me when I sin, because I say and think and do things that I don’t mean and that are harmful to me and others.”
“I need you to encourage me, and I need to encourage you because about half of the time one of us is struggling or in pain.”
Dependency, by nature, means vulnerability, and vulnerability means that I CAN get hurt. I CAN feel pain if I let these people in. I CAN allow them access to the deep and sensitive places in my heart. We think of all the things that COULD happen.
Oh… but this dependency upon one another is also what makes the church the church. It is what defines us as a body apart from every other gathering of people on earth. We may be vulnerable, but we also have each other’s backs… no matter what.
Once I have allowed my weaknesses into the light in the presence of another brother or sister, you can bet that I will automatically be able to sympathize with theirs. In this case, there is no judgment or condemnation or really even hypocrisy… because we are honest enough to never pretend that we have it all together.
Oh God, give us a vision of unity that transcends all that this culture has taught us. Teach us to be the church, founded upon the gospel of Jesus Christ, learning together, growing together, and bringing more people into this amazing fellowship.
In Christ,
Andy
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Allowing Our Kids to Learn to Trust God
Today I heard a parent say something that I've rarely (if ever) heard. When referring to a season of spiritual searching that their child is going through, this parent said something to this effect: "We want him to be able to ask questions and be in situations where God becomes all that he can rely on... because God ultimately is all that we can rely on."
What a brave and daring statement. Most parents only wish for comfort and safety for their children, spiritually speaking and otherwise. What this parent was saying, in effect, was that their child's ability to trust in God was more important to them than their ease of conscience or mind. They were encouraging a struggle... even pain.
It is sure that no parent can desire pain for their child, but by trusting in the sovereignty of our almighty God, we begin to understand that the temporary fleshly pains of faith questions are much more bearable than the long-term trails of a faith crisis.
So, we as parents, seem to be faced with a choice as our children move toward adulthood. We can continually give them quick answers to their questions about God and the faith, not allowing them to test it themselves, and ultimately not trusting that God will hold them in His care throughout the process, OR we can probe, ask more questions, and gently lead them toward the places where they will find the answers for themselves.
This is a subtle and difficult art in shaping the spiritual lives of students.
In Christ,
Andy
What a brave and daring statement. Most parents only wish for comfort and safety for their children, spiritually speaking and otherwise. What this parent was saying, in effect, was that their child's ability to trust in God was more important to them than their ease of conscience or mind. They were encouraging a struggle... even pain.
It is sure that no parent can desire pain for their child, but by trusting in the sovereignty of our almighty God, we begin to understand that the temporary fleshly pains of faith questions are much more bearable than the long-term trails of a faith crisis.
So, we as parents, seem to be faced with a choice as our children move toward adulthood. We can continually give them quick answers to their questions about God and the faith, not allowing them to test it themselves, and ultimately not trusting that God will hold them in His care throughout the process, OR we can probe, ask more questions, and gently lead them toward the places where they will find the answers for themselves.
This is a subtle and difficult art in shaping the spiritual lives of students.
In Christ,
Andy
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