Christian – Page 18 – Journeys of Heart and Mind

Every chapter is necessary

There is a synergy, a sparking of abundant life that comes from the interdependence of the parts.

This is a slightly modified copy of an article I wrote in 2014. I’m republishing it because I think it is still useful and deserves another airing. Perhaps it hints at some things we are liable to forget.

The book, Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity, contains twenty-four chapters. Each one discusses a positive aspect of church, something that is an essential part of the whole. Reading from the book I was deeply impacted by Chapter 22 from Kathy Escobar; the chapter is entitled A church that restores dignity where it’s been lost.

She writes:

Jesus calls [Lazarus] out of the tomb, but then he looks to the people around him – his community, friends, and advocates – and says to them ‘unbind him’. Unbind him. Unwrap him. Take off his graveclothes.

I think God calls us to participate in this uncovering-unwrapping-unbinding with each other through healing community.

And it struck me that although church is much more than the sum of its parts, all of the parts need to be actively present. There is a synergy, a sparking of abundant life that comes from the interdependence of the parts. Church is a person, the Bride of Christ.

Like all people, you and I are much more than the sum of hands, ears, spleen, heart, lungs and all the rest. But if any of these were missing we would either die or be unable to fully function. And it’s just the same with the church.

Just consider some of the other chapter themes. The church cherishes Jesus Christ, exhibits personal holiness, counts every member as key, assembles for mutual edification, and knows eternal life is free. Imagine all of those being true in a church that fails to restore dignity where it’s been lost. It would be a church without the active compassion necessary to unbind those who so desperately need it.

Or consider a church that clings to scriptural truth, is most notable for its love and is united in Christ but doesn’t follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. This would be a church that failed to hear where to go and what to do and did everything in its own strength.

Or what about a church that was composed of peacemakers, viewed itself as a people, restored dignity but failed to proclaim the gospel clearly?

The chapters of this book all stand alone and can be read alone. But they often overlap so that there are echoes and glimpses of them in one another. Yet taken together, with no part missing or inactive, they describe a holistic church, a wholesome church and a church that is alive and active and effective in the world. There are other aspects that are not explicitly covered in the book, prayer for example. But these are implied throughout in a variety of ways.

Church is as complex as any living organism, and just like a living organism it is not only complex but also multi-faceted, and astonishingly well constructed. The church is also alive with the life of Christ. And every part contributes!

Find the book on Google Play Books and on Amazon Books.

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If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Paul Young, three videos

The videos are by turn funny, gripping, informative, and very, very useful.

Paul Young (sometimes William P Young) wrote The Shack for his children and it unexpectedly became a very famous best-seller and much later a movie.

Here he speaks to a House2House (H2H) conference in 2008, explaining how our traditions can trip us up and mislead us, how he came to write the book, and how Father’s grace can take any one of us and make the impossible possible.

Paul Young, speaking on the topic ‘Grace’

I’ve put the three YouTube videos into a playlist. The video is low quality as it was recorded in 2008 using the standards available at the time, but the sound is clear enough. Copyright for all three videos is with House2House and I have their permission to share the videos here.

Click the playlist link and watch away. These videos have, I suspect, changed many people’s lives – in a good way. They open up truths that have been hidden for some, for others they will confirm what they already thought. The videos are by turn funny, gripping, informative, and very, very useful today just as much as in 2008. Truth doesn’t change.

So for you, and your friends, it may be transformational or it may be confirming. Either way, my prayer for you is that you will be blessed and encouraged by listening.

Some background

The conference was over three days, the first day was for leaders; Paul spoke on Grace and covers how and why The Shack came to be written. In his opening remarks he notes that he’s in an environment that he’s not familiar with. However, he was very well received.

The second topic, Tradition, was presented to the full conference. In it, Paul discusses the fall and the interactions between Yawheh, Ish, Isha, and Lucifer. (We often think of Ish as ‘Adam’ and Ishah as ‘Eve’, Paul explains the distinction.)

The third topic, Soul, was again to the full conference. This time Paul explains his background and life story very frankly.

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Last words from JDMC

You will only grow and progress if you do the work yourselves daily, weekly, and on into the extraordinary future that Father already has planned for you.

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This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. It’s the very last section so is a bit different from the rest: there are no questions for readers to ponder, just a blessing at the end.

I suggest reading the blessing and making it your own. And why not see if any of your friends are interested too? Share the link with them, or meet over a coffee to chat about it. Alternatively you could return to the beginning of this series and get them started that way.

Not the end, just the beginning

Please don’t think that because you have reached the end of the guide, you have also reached the end of the journey. I hope you’ll explore the more detailed books on ‘The Forgotten Ways’ as well.

The various parts of this JDMC guide are just that – a guide. You will only grow and progress if you do the work yourselves daily, weekly, and on into the extraordinary future that Father already has planned for you. He will show you and lead you but you must take the steps one by one. As you live and work and discover new things together you can expect to grow significantly and have an impact on those around you.

An intricate fabric

Remember that the six forgotten ways are woven together to form a rich and intricate fabric. Although I’ve presented them here individually and in a linear form, they are not like that in reality. Each depends on the others, all are needed in our lives together. They don’t begin with knowing Jesus and end with doing stretching things together, they are more like a grand party where the participants, the music, the lighting, the flowers, the food, and the decorations create an unparalleled overall experience.

Take one of them away and the party will be much the poorer.

However, each way does depend on the previous one and provoke the next in significant ways. People who put Jesus first will find themselves becoming disciples. If we truly follow him and love him, we’ll do what he says by going out and deep. Amongst groups of new believers who are open, the APEST gifts will find an opportunity. Where apostolic foundations take root, organic forms of church life will develop. And where church is active, stretching challenges are inevitable.

Just do it!

So make a start in your own lives and your own situation. Listen to what the Spirit says and do what he tells you. Keep Jesus at the centre. Make disciples and grow as disciples yourselves. Make sure to go out but also embed yourselves deep in the local culture. Explore your gifts and encourage one another in using them. Don’t over-organise but be ever more fully alive as parts of one living body. And face some stretching challenges together.

A blessing

I bless you in the name of Jesus, that you may you find yourselves at the heart of revolutionary and explosive growth. It might seem to begin ever so slowly, but stick with it and see what it will become! You’ll find your deepest peace, not by resting, but by being fully active children of the Father and walking daily with the Son.

More sections of JDMC

Introduction – JDMC, what does it contain? – Using JDMC – how to approach it

Working together in six ways – Intro and Way 1 – Ways 2, 3 and 4 – Ways 5 and 6, six ways

Way One, Jesus at the centre – Jesus at centre 1 – Jesus at centre 2 – Jesus at centre 3

Way Two, Becoming disciples – Disciples 1 – Disciples 2 – Disciples 3

Way Three, Outward and integrated – OutAndInt1, OutAndInt2

Way Four, Gifts for building – GiftsForBuilding1, GiftsForBuilding2

Way Five, A living organism – LivingOrg1, LivingOrg2

More sections will appear here…

The work of the Spirit – Intro – Jesus, disciples, outward – Gifts, living, community, help

Other church leaders – Intro, bishops, elders – Deacons, pastors, priests

Last words – The end can also be the beginning

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Read the book

This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), page 49. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk

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Image of the day – 18

Knowing what is the right thing to do is not the same as doing the right thing.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every day (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

This is an image of an image of a story. It’s my photo of a stained glass window in a little church in the village of Upper Framilode near the River Severn in Gloucestershire.

The words at the bottom of the window read ‘Go and do thou likewise’ which we might rephrase in today’s English, ‘Now you go and do the same’.

It’s the punchline from a story Jesus told to show that love is an active thing, and if we don’t love the needy people around us in practical ways, how can we claim to be pure, or spiritual, or selfless?

Knowing what is the right thing to do is not the same as doing the right thing. It’s quite easy to mix those two ideas up in our minds, but it’s oh-so-important to have clarity about it.

You can read the story in modern English on the internet.

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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John 15:1-8 – Vine and branches

If you prune a vine wisely it becomes more vigorous and more fruitful; that’s true of all kinds of fruit tree too.

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Bible text – Read it yourself (opens in a new tab)

Jesus has been talking to his closest followers, the small group of twelve who were travelling with him. Now he begins to use the idea of a vine. Remember that everyone in Israel would have known what a grapevine is like, they were widely grown and wine was an important item in ceremonies as well as in ordinary life. It was essential in weddings, in the passover meal and so forth.

He now makes a strange claim, he says that he himself is a vine. Not only that, but he is the true vine. And he mentions that his Father is the gardener, though we shouldn’t think in terms of someone who looks after fruit, flowers and vegetables in the way we would today. Israel is the old vineyard, and Father is much more than just an employed labourer, he is the vineyard owner. The old vineyard (Israel) has not been fruitful. Jesus is a new vine and his Father will prune the branches to make him more fruitful. If you prune a vine wisely it becomes more vigorous and more fruitful; that’s true of all kinds of fruit tree too, anyone who manages an orchard will tell you that ageing trees fruit less but can be reinvigorated by good pruning. Old or diseased branches need to be removed and the others cut back to a strong, healthy bud.

And Jesus goes on to tell his followers, ‘You are the branches’! Who are his followers? Two thousand years ago they were the twelve disciples who followed him everywhere and were hungry to hear whatever he had to say. Today the things that he said to them, apply to us also. We are his branches, we are attached to him.

A two-way relationship

Notice that this is a two-way relationship. Jesus says we’ll be very fruitful if we remain in him and he remains in us. And notice too that it’s an all or nothing relationship; we’ll either be very fruitful or we can do nothing. There’s no option that makes us partly fruitful, or reasonably fruitful, fruitful in some things but not in others. We are fully in; or we are fully out. You will be precious and treasured, or you will be trash. So which will you choose? Will you be attached to the one true vine, or will you be disconnected?

And in verse seven we learn that if we remain in him and his words remain in us, we can ask anything we wish and it will be done for us! We need to be careful here, though. Jesus is not telling us that we can ask for things that are not in his will and purpose. He expects us to know we can ask anything in his Name and receive it. There’s no point in asking for something that will harm or destroy your enemies, for example, because Jesus made it clear that we are to love our enemy. If I ask for wrong things, I am not remaining in him and his word is not remaining in me.

While the nails were being driven through him into the cross, Jesus asked for something. He said, ‘Father forgive them, they have no idea what they’re doing’. Was that prayer answered? You bet it was. It’s a tremendous example of loving your enemy, isn’t it! Maybe one of those Romans was the one who later said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God’.

Glorifying the Father

Finally, in verse eight we see the purpose of it all. It’s not about us at all. It’s not even about Jesus. It’s about the Father! Being very fruitful, and showing ourselves to be followers of Jesus, simply brings glory to the person who truly deserves it and should always receive it – the Father.

Our Father, who is far beyond our reach, let your Name be utterly holy, may Your will and purpose be done here on Earth, just as it is in Your dwelling place.

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