Knowing our Story

 

Mark 1:9-11
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Sometimes in our attempt to fit in or keep up, we look for the shortcut to success or pursue goals that are more important to others than to ourselves...It’s impossible to be intentional and deliberate if you don’t articulate and prioritise what’s important to you.

(Story Driven - You don't need to compete when you know who you are. Bernadette Jiwa)

Just one of the observations made by congregations involved in Path of Renewal is the sense that we are engaged in kingdom work together. It is not about growing one congregation at the expense of another but discerning the mission of God in each particular context. It is also about embracing the reality that Christ has given all kinds of gifts to the church and that we operate out of abundance and not scarcity 

Ministers are experiencing collegiality rather than a competitiveness as they learn and grow together and, as they share their vulnerability, there is a real sense of being held and affirmed in their calling and encouraged in their leadership.

Early on in the process we considered - and continue to recall - that we are called, affirmed and equipped by God for the tasks of mission today.

In each of the three years of involvement on Path of Renewal, we have journeyed with Scripture that develops each of those aspects of who we are - beginning with the story of Jesus calling his disciples and sending them out to the harvest, then journeying with the risen Christ on the Emmaus Road and, this year, considering the five-fold gifts we have been given and how those complement the gifts of those around us. All of these scriptures have enabled us to better discern the mission of God and the part we are called to play in that mission today.

Mission begins then, with remembering our story - remembering by whom and to whom we are uniquely called.

Mission involves being reminded that we are God's beloved - and in that knowledge, in the light of that story, we are challenged to use the gifts that we have been given, enable the gifts of others and, together to build the Kingdom.

Writing in the sand

John 8:3-9

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

This incredible story of grace in the gospel of John testifies to the practice of putting aside tradition, taking a moment to breathe, and opening ourselves to the possibility of other options that become apparent when we don't simply succumb to what has always been.

As Jesus doodles in the sand, he creates a moment for reflection, for contemplation, for consideration of alternatives rather than acting on default. A simple space for breathing made space for a new perspective.

I'm sure there were those in the crowd that day who grumbled at Jesus' seeming indecision. I'm sure there were some who were disappointed that he didn't assert tradition or even institute something new. And yet, his simple doodling enabled others to be awakened to a grace filled possibility - that of setting aside their righteousness and showing compassion for others, a compassion in which there was the potential for change and for growth.

As we begin to review the experience of the first tranche of congregations involved in Path of Renewal, it is apparent that, at the very least, what has been achieved is that space for grace. A space to step back, take a breath, review the defaults and begin to achieve a new perspective. God enters that grace filled space changing hearts and minds, changing a culture that feels as though it is set in stone.

There is a time and a place for drawing a line in the sand and beginning something new. There is also a time and place for doodling so that a fresh perspective that can be the seed of renewing an inherited culture is planted. What will emerge is as yet unknown but a seed sown in love and grace carries the potential for a great awakening to the wisdom of God and the mission of God for the world.