That's what my son Daniel stated to me last week. He went on to prove it in our conversation since as soon as I tried to say now was now it was no longer so!! It's true in a way, isn't it? Now is so very fleeting. Yesterdays, on the other hand, keep piling up before our eyes. Regrets, memories, good and bad, stay with us. But the present flies by into the past in the blink on an eye.
James 4:14b captures the essence: "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
Yet it is not meaningless, no, not at all! We have the challenge from scripture to make the most of every opportunity given to us to do good. To live in the center of God's will is the best place to be. There we can have peace and the satisfaction of knowing that, although our lives are like sand through an hourglass, each moment is redeemed as we commit our way to Him with the heart of Mary: "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as You have spoken."
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Greatest Gift
From Ladies' Christmas Tea 2011:
What is the greatest Christmas present you’ve ever received? I don’t have anything that amazing, but I do remember a gift Paul gave me our first Christmas together after we were married. I’d always wanted to learn to play the piano and a friend had given me some lessons my senior year of college. But then Paul and I got together and I got a bit distracted and the lessons fell by the wayside! Paul surprised me with a beautiful keyboard with all the bells and whistles. It had the different settings like grand piano, clarinet. and even disco! It was a great blessing.
As I’ve reflected on what makes for a great gift, I think it’s the ones that express love, that meet a need or desire, as well as those homemade gifts that have something of the giver in them, that mean the most. I’d like to propose to you that God gave us the greatest gift that first Christmas, one that truly has something of the giver in it, perfectly expresses His love, and fulfills our deepest needs and desires.
Let me try to explain: First some Scriptural background: Gen. 1:1-2 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” And on the passage goes, with God creating everything by His Word. Each day heralded another command that His creation be designed. The mountains, and seas, the animals, and flowers - all the beauty we see around us God spoke into being! And, fortunately for us, on the sixth day, He made mankind. He said, “let us make man in our own image, after our likeness. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.”(Gen.1:26-27) (Now this was long before the first Christmas, but it sounds very similar to passages in the gospel of John and the book of Colossians: (John 1:1-4) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ..All things were made through him, .. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (v.14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Col 1:15-19) “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, --all things were created through him and for him. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”
The Word that existed in eternity past, God Himself who created all things, came wrapped up in a baby that first Christmas! The term ‘the Word’ conveys the notion of divine self-expression or speech. I would say this gift of Jesus truly had something of the Giver in it!!! God’s very essence indeed! God also expresses His perfect love and meets our greatest need in this gift. Why did He God give us Jesus? John 3:16 explains: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Our greatest need is not material (as pressing as these can be), but spiritual. You see, soon after God had finished his amazing creation, the perfect harmony Adam and Eve enjoyed with Him and each other was destroyed by sin. Ever since the fall in the garden, mankind has been exiled from God, because the holy God cannot dwell in the presence of sin. This disease of the soul has infected all humanity. Our sins, whether many or few, whether acknowledged or denied, have separated us from God and effect all our relationships. I must admit I can easily go from being good to being more like the grinch in the course of a day. Selfishness and pride rear their ugly heads.
Paul sent me these true , humorous accounts of the Christmas spirit gone bad: ‘ Although most people don't know what to do with their tree once the celebration is over, a woman in Victoria, British Columbia, had an idea. She was arrested for beating a man with her Christmas tree. The incident was sparked when the man grumbled that the load of gifts in his arms was heavier than the tree she was carrying.’ and another one: ‘When her Jensen Beach, Florida, apartment complex held a Christmas-lights competition, Donna Simmons-Groover was a winner…briefly. One of her neighbors, incensed at losing the contest, ripped down part of Donna's winning display.’ Unfortunately we witness the plague of sin in our own lives and hear it broadcast on the news every day, and usually it’s not very funny, is it?
But there is good news! Good news of great joy, as the angels announced that first Christmas! God wasn’t satisfied to condemn us to everlasting separation from Himself. Like a mother or father for their children, he longed to be with us. His love compelled Him to send His Son on a rescue mission for us. He sent Jesus, born of virgin Mary, miraculously transported from heaven to earth that first Christmas. Christ came and lived a perfect life of obedience to His Father and took upon Himself the punishment our sins deserved in order to provide forgiveness and reconciliation to our Father in heaven. His death and resurrection have purchased this gift for us! We now have this invitation to be reconciled to God through the Savior of the world. John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” This is truly the best gift you will ever be offered! But a gift offered does not guarantee a gift received, does it? One could choose to reject the gift, thinking they have no need or desire for it. I pray that you would receive the gift of Jesus for yourself if you haven’t already. If you’re not sure whether you have, let me ask you a question: Can you put our name in the blank of this promise? “For God so loved (your name) that He sent His Only Son for (your name) that you would believe in Him and not perish but have eternal life. “
This gift not only has something of the Giver in it, perfectly expressing His love, and meeting our greatest need, but it also fulfills our deepest desires. We are all made with desires for true, unfailing love and for purpose and security. God made us, He knows us more than even our spouse or best friend could. He understands us better than we do!! And the amazing thing is that He loves us, warts and all!! We don’t surprise Him with our weaknesses and failures. In fact, He sees every day before it comes to be and knows every word we’re going to speak before we speak it! That’s a lot of words, huh, ladies?!! (Psalm 139:4,16)“even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether, in your book were written all my days before they come to be.”
He loves us perfectly based on Christ’s performance, not our own. He has made us uniquely with a specific purpose in mind and He promises to provide all we need to fulfill His plans. He satisfies our desires with good things. I’m not saying life will be easy, no, this is not heaven yet, and there is suffering. In fact, I was thinking about how Mary and Joseph’s lives became more complicated and challenging when Jesus came into the picture!! But He comforts us in our trials , and uses them to teach us to trust Him, to set our hearts on heaven, and to make us more like Him. To top it all off, He grants us unending companionship with Himself! We can talk to Him anytime and He is always listening! He showers us with grace and mercy every single day. He promises never to leave or forsake us! At death we will NOT part from Him! He will carry us from this world to heaven.
Do you see why I think this gift of Christ has all the earmarks of the best gift ever? He was God’s perfect way of expressing Himself and His love to us. He meets our greatest need, and fulfills our deepest desires. We were not meant to travel this life alone, ladies. The greatest blessing and the ultimate purpose in life is to know and enjoy a relationship with our Creator. And when we know Him, we will bring that blessing to others. The material gifts we give and receive are nice, but honestly they don't last and I don’t remember them for long. In fact, that piano keyboard I told you about became a toy for my kids and eventually got broken. I still haven’t learned to play!! But this gift of Jesus will never be forgotten and will not pass away. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!
What is the greatest Christmas present you’ve ever received? I don’t have anything that amazing, but I do remember a gift Paul gave me our first Christmas together after we were married. I’d always wanted to learn to play the piano and a friend had given me some lessons my senior year of college. But then Paul and I got together and I got a bit distracted and the lessons fell by the wayside! Paul surprised me with a beautiful keyboard with all the bells and whistles. It had the different settings like grand piano, clarinet. and even disco! It was a great blessing.
As I’ve reflected on what makes for a great gift, I think it’s the ones that express love, that meet a need or desire, as well as those homemade gifts that have something of the giver in them, that mean the most. I’d like to propose to you that God gave us the greatest gift that first Christmas, one that truly has something of the giver in it, perfectly expresses His love, and fulfills our deepest needs and desires.
Let me try to explain: First some Scriptural background: Gen. 1:1-2 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” And on the passage goes, with God creating everything by His Word. Each day heralded another command that His creation be designed. The mountains, and seas, the animals, and flowers - all the beauty we see around us God spoke into being! And, fortunately for us, on the sixth day, He made mankind. He said, “let us make man in our own image, after our likeness. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.”(Gen.1:26-27) (Now this was long before the first Christmas, but it sounds very similar to passages in the gospel of John and the book of Colossians: (John 1:1-4) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ..All things were made through him, .. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (v.14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Col 1:15-19) “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, --all things were created through him and for him. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”
The Word that existed in eternity past, God Himself who created all things, came wrapped up in a baby that first Christmas! The term ‘the Word’ conveys the notion of divine self-expression or speech. I would say this gift of Jesus truly had something of the Giver in it!!! God’s very essence indeed! God also expresses His perfect love and meets our greatest need in this gift. Why did He God give us Jesus? John 3:16 explains: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Our greatest need is not material (as pressing as these can be), but spiritual. You see, soon after God had finished his amazing creation, the perfect harmony Adam and Eve enjoyed with Him and each other was destroyed by sin. Ever since the fall in the garden, mankind has been exiled from God, because the holy God cannot dwell in the presence of sin. This disease of the soul has infected all humanity. Our sins, whether many or few, whether acknowledged or denied, have separated us from God and effect all our relationships. I must admit I can easily go from being good to being more like the grinch in the course of a day. Selfishness and pride rear their ugly heads.
Paul sent me these true , humorous accounts of the Christmas spirit gone bad: ‘ Although most people don't know what to do with their tree once the celebration is over, a woman in Victoria, British Columbia, had an idea. She was arrested for beating a man with her Christmas tree. The incident was sparked when the man grumbled that the load of gifts in his arms was heavier than the tree she was carrying.’ and another one: ‘When her Jensen Beach, Florida, apartment complex held a Christmas-lights competition, Donna Simmons-Groover was a winner…briefly. One of her neighbors, incensed at losing the contest, ripped down part of Donna's winning display.’ Unfortunately we witness the plague of sin in our own lives and hear it broadcast on the news every day, and usually it’s not very funny, is it?
But there is good news! Good news of great joy, as the angels announced that first Christmas! God wasn’t satisfied to condemn us to everlasting separation from Himself. Like a mother or father for their children, he longed to be with us. His love compelled Him to send His Son on a rescue mission for us. He sent Jesus, born of virgin Mary, miraculously transported from heaven to earth that first Christmas. Christ came and lived a perfect life of obedience to His Father and took upon Himself the punishment our sins deserved in order to provide forgiveness and reconciliation to our Father in heaven. His death and resurrection have purchased this gift for us! We now have this invitation to be reconciled to God through the Savior of the world. John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” This is truly the best gift you will ever be offered! But a gift offered does not guarantee a gift received, does it? One could choose to reject the gift, thinking they have no need or desire for it. I pray that you would receive the gift of Jesus for yourself if you haven’t already. If you’re not sure whether you have, let me ask you a question: Can you put our name in the blank of this promise? “For God so loved (your name) that He sent His Only Son for (your name) that you would believe in Him and not perish but have eternal life. “
This gift not only has something of the Giver in it, perfectly expressing His love, and meeting our greatest need, but it also fulfills our deepest desires. We are all made with desires for true, unfailing love and for purpose and security. God made us, He knows us more than even our spouse or best friend could. He understands us better than we do!! And the amazing thing is that He loves us, warts and all!! We don’t surprise Him with our weaknesses and failures. In fact, He sees every day before it comes to be and knows every word we’re going to speak before we speak it! That’s a lot of words, huh, ladies?!! (Psalm 139:4,16)“even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether, in your book were written all my days before they come to be.”
He loves us perfectly based on Christ’s performance, not our own. He has made us uniquely with a specific purpose in mind and He promises to provide all we need to fulfill His plans. He satisfies our desires with good things. I’m not saying life will be easy, no, this is not heaven yet, and there is suffering. In fact, I was thinking about how Mary and Joseph’s lives became more complicated and challenging when Jesus came into the picture!! But He comforts us in our trials , and uses them to teach us to trust Him, to set our hearts on heaven, and to make us more like Him. To top it all off, He grants us unending companionship with Himself! We can talk to Him anytime and He is always listening! He showers us with grace and mercy every single day. He promises never to leave or forsake us! At death we will NOT part from Him! He will carry us from this world to heaven.
Do you see why I think this gift of Christ has all the earmarks of the best gift ever? He was God’s perfect way of expressing Himself and His love to us. He meets our greatest need, and fulfills our deepest desires. We were not meant to travel this life alone, ladies. The greatest blessing and the ultimate purpose in life is to know and enjoy a relationship with our Creator. And when we know Him, we will bring that blessing to others. The material gifts we give and receive are nice, but honestly they don't last and I don’t remember them for long. In fact, that piano keyboard I told you about became a toy for my kids and eventually got broken. I still haven’t learned to play!! But this gift of Jesus will never be forgotten and will not pass away. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Hospitality
From a Ladies' Breakfast last spring:
I wanted to take a little time to talk about the gift of hospitality since I believe we as women play a key role in the administration of this gift. To practice hospitality is a command in Scripture, given in both Romans and 1Peter. That’s how important it is.
I think you’ll agree that hospitality is a strength in our church. My purpose is to only encourage that we continue to excel more and more in this gift.
So what exactly is does it mean to practice hospitality?
The command in the original language contains expressions like ‘Strive for, pursue with eagerness or enthusiasm, seek out opportunities to offer generous, cordial reception of guests, offering a pleasant sustaining environment.’
My earliest memory of Christian hospitality occurred during my freshman year at college. I was in the process being drawn to Christ through the love of new friends and was invited to a family’s home for dinner. It was nothing fancy- assembly line style. I don’t recall what we ate but I do remember this joyful, welcoming family, relaxing, and watching a ball game on TV with us. The love displayed in this family captured my heart and inspired me to trust Christ for my future family.
1Peter4:8-10 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
Hospitality opens the door for us to use our gifts to bless others. For example, prayer, encouragement, evangelism, and discipleship are all effectively done when we invite one another into our lives and homes.
Interesting that the command says to offer hospitality without complaining. Why might complaining be a temptation in this context? Could it be because we're called to share our most precious possessions: our family, home, finances, food, privacy and time? Hospitality can be sacrificial and hard work! It is an opportunity to lay down our lives for others. But the rewards are great. Through hospitality we provide friendship, acceptance, fellowship, refreshment, comfort and love in one of the richest and deepest ways possible.
The ministry of hospitality was a prominent feature in the picture of the early church. One of the key factors that helps explain the rapid expansion of Christianity was the love displayed among the first Christians. In an ancient Latin Christian dialogue entitled ‘Octavius’, the pagan Caecilius criticizes the Christians because “hardly have they met when they love each other, indiscriminately they call each other brother and sister."
The first Christians referred to one another as brother or sister-this reference is used 250x in NT! Of all the images used to describe the nature of the church like the body, bride, temple and flock, by far the family is the most frequent. Sadly, by the end of the 3rd century, such endearing terminology began to disappear.
We’re brothers and sisters not because we share similar ideas, interests or circumstances, but because we share the life of Jesus through our spiritual birth. We have the same Father in heaven, the One who loved us so much he sent his Son to save us from our sins! Remember what we were before we knew the Lord: Eph. 2 describes the before and after scenario: we were "separated from Christ, strangers to the covenant promises, having no hope and without God in the world.' (Eph.2:12).
"But now in Christ you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He himself is our peace who has made us one. Through him we have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined and held together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."
Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins and his resurrection has opened for us eternal fellowship with God and with fellow believers! In Christ, we have an unbreakable family bond. No wonder God calls us to practice this gift of hospitality, to build us up in our faith and unity. Our fellowship is a foretaste of what heaven will be like.
The Puritans who settled America brought this understanding of community with them. John Winthrop, first governor of MA Bay Colony wrote, "This love among Christians is absolutely necessary to the well being of the body of Christ, as the sinews and other ligaments of the natural body are to its health...Thus stands the cause between God and us; we are entered into covenant with Him for this work..for this end we must be knit together as one man..we must delight in each other, make one another's condition our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having our eyes on our Commission and Community, as members of the same body. So shall we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace...We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when He shall make us a praise and glory, that men of succeeding plantations shall say, 'The Lord make it like that of New England.' For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill..." (The Light and Glory).
What a legacy! Sadly New England is far from this picture and influence on the rest of the country. If anything we're known more for our rugged individualism (remember where the revolutionary war began!) . But I believe the vision and prayers have not perished before God and that today there is a quiet revival as more and more churches are being planted and the gospel is spreading.
I love how John Winthrop put it: 'having our eyes on our community and our commission.' We don't want to fall into laziness as we enjoy our community, but must remember there are more people to invite in to the fellowship we share, and ultimately to the ultimate party we will enjoy in heaven!
“Christian perseverance is a community endeavor”, so let’s consider how we can use this gift of hospitality to spur one another on in love and good works. We have many great examples around us to follow.
Rom.16:1-2 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchrae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.”
Phoebe was evidently a new comer who served the church. We have our own Phoebe in Lauren Cranmer. Lauren has left family and friends to serve our church and has been welcomed especially by the Haavisto's where she is living and enfolded into their family. May we embrace her and care for her as well.
I have many experiences on the receiving end of hospitality. Dinner with many of you, either in your homes or out to eat; we've enjoyed deepening friendships. And care group at the Kings' and the other host families. The labor and rewards of hospitality are clearly seen in these contexts!
There's just something about being in someones home that helps deepen our relationships. You see the taste and personality of a family in their home. "Women really do have an instinctive capacity to form relationships and to cultivate a sense of family." (Susan Hunt) And what better place to cultivate friendships than in our homes. Another great quote: "What a queer way we womenkind have of confiding in each other with perfectly reckless disregard of the consequences! It is a mercy that men are, for the most part, more prudent, though not half so delightful!" (Elizabeth Prentiss)
One family that has blown me away with their pursuit of hospitality is the Gennells. They invited our family for dinner soon after they started visiting KGC. We are one of many families who have been blessed by their generous gift of hospitality.
I want to encourage you that this gift can be given on Sunday mornings right here as we greet one another and welcome our guests, which, by the way, you do so well already. We are blessed with this beautiful family home to use for hospitality, with teas, showers, prayer meetings, play groups, and the list of ideas is virtually endless!!
To help spur us on, may I remind you that whatever you do to the least of these, you do to Jesus. This is a helpful reminder for me when I am battling my natural desire to stay in my comfort zone and only engage people who are like me.
The command doesn’t require gourmet meals, meticulous homes, or perfectly godly families. It's not about that. It's about being like our Lord, who invites us to open the door and enjoy fellowship with Him. (Rev. 3:20)
I'm so thankful for that first experience of hospitality I had when I was so young and struggling to understand the Lord. If it hadn't been for this family and the other Christians reaching out and expressing God's heart to me, I do not know where I'd be today.
Some ideas:
Pray for the Lord's direction in our pursuit of this gift and command.
Set goals: specific people to invite over or out, schedule dates.
Don’t forget the widows, students, guests and new members among us.
Be open to inviting new guests to join you for a meal once in a while after church. (this gives us the opportunity to "entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it" Hebrews 13:2) We may not ever get to host angels, but we will do have the privilege of honoring the Lord by loving and serving His precious children.
I wanted to take a little time to talk about the gift of hospitality since I believe we as women play a key role in the administration of this gift. To practice hospitality is a command in Scripture, given in both Romans and 1Peter. That’s how important it is.
I think you’ll agree that hospitality is a strength in our church. My purpose is to only encourage that we continue to excel more and more in this gift.
So what exactly is does it mean to practice hospitality?
The command in the original language contains expressions like ‘Strive for, pursue with eagerness or enthusiasm, seek out opportunities to offer generous, cordial reception of guests, offering a pleasant sustaining environment.’
My earliest memory of Christian hospitality occurred during my freshman year at college. I was in the process being drawn to Christ through the love of new friends and was invited to a family’s home for dinner. It was nothing fancy- assembly line style. I don’t recall what we ate but I do remember this joyful, welcoming family, relaxing, and watching a ball game on TV with us. The love displayed in this family captured my heart and inspired me to trust Christ for my future family.
1Peter4:8-10 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
Hospitality opens the door for us to use our gifts to bless others. For example, prayer, encouragement, evangelism, and discipleship are all effectively done when we invite one another into our lives and homes.
Interesting that the command says to offer hospitality without complaining. Why might complaining be a temptation in this context? Could it be because we're called to share our most precious possessions: our family, home, finances, food, privacy and time? Hospitality can be sacrificial and hard work! It is an opportunity to lay down our lives for others. But the rewards are great. Through hospitality we provide friendship, acceptance, fellowship, refreshment, comfort and love in one of the richest and deepest ways possible.
The ministry of hospitality was a prominent feature in the picture of the early church. One of the key factors that helps explain the rapid expansion of Christianity was the love displayed among the first Christians. In an ancient Latin Christian dialogue entitled ‘Octavius’, the pagan Caecilius criticizes the Christians because “hardly have they met when they love each other, indiscriminately they call each other brother and sister."
The first Christians referred to one another as brother or sister-this reference is used 250x in NT! Of all the images used to describe the nature of the church like the body, bride, temple and flock, by far the family is the most frequent. Sadly, by the end of the 3rd century, such endearing terminology began to disappear.
We’re brothers and sisters not because we share similar ideas, interests or circumstances, but because we share the life of Jesus through our spiritual birth. We have the same Father in heaven, the One who loved us so much he sent his Son to save us from our sins! Remember what we were before we knew the Lord: Eph. 2 describes the before and after scenario: we were "separated from Christ, strangers to the covenant promises, having no hope and without God in the world.' (Eph.2:12).
"But now in Christ you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He himself is our peace who has made us one. Through him we have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined and held together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."
Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins and his resurrection has opened for us eternal fellowship with God and with fellow believers! In Christ, we have an unbreakable family bond. No wonder God calls us to practice this gift of hospitality, to build us up in our faith and unity. Our fellowship is a foretaste of what heaven will be like.
The Puritans who settled America brought this understanding of community with them. John Winthrop, first governor of MA Bay Colony wrote, "This love among Christians is absolutely necessary to the well being of the body of Christ, as the sinews and other ligaments of the natural body are to its health...Thus stands the cause between God and us; we are entered into covenant with Him for this work..for this end we must be knit together as one man..we must delight in each other, make one another's condition our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having our eyes on our Commission and Community, as members of the same body. So shall we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace...We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when He shall make us a praise and glory, that men of succeeding plantations shall say, 'The Lord make it like that of New England.' For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill..." (The Light and Glory).
What a legacy! Sadly New England is far from this picture and influence on the rest of the country. If anything we're known more for our rugged individualism (remember where the revolutionary war began!) . But I believe the vision and prayers have not perished before God and that today there is a quiet revival as more and more churches are being planted and the gospel is spreading.
I love how John Winthrop put it: 'having our eyes on our community and our commission.' We don't want to fall into laziness as we enjoy our community, but must remember there are more people to invite in to the fellowship we share, and ultimately to the ultimate party we will enjoy in heaven!
“Christian perseverance is a community endeavor”, so let’s consider how we can use this gift of hospitality to spur one another on in love and good works. We have many great examples around us to follow.
Rom.16:1-2 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchrae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.”
Phoebe was evidently a new comer who served the church. We have our own Phoebe in Lauren Cranmer. Lauren has left family and friends to serve our church and has been welcomed especially by the Haavisto's where she is living and enfolded into their family. May we embrace her and care for her as well.
I have many experiences on the receiving end of hospitality. Dinner with many of you, either in your homes or out to eat; we've enjoyed deepening friendships. And care group at the Kings' and the other host families. The labor and rewards of hospitality are clearly seen in these contexts!
There's just something about being in someones home that helps deepen our relationships. You see the taste and personality of a family in their home. "Women really do have an instinctive capacity to form relationships and to cultivate a sense of family." (Susan Hunt) And what better place to cultivate friendships than in our homes. Another great quote: "What a queer way we womenkind have of confiding in each other with perfectly reckless disregard of the consequences! It is a mercy that men are, for the most part, more prudent, though not half so delightful!" (Elizabeth Prentiss)
One family that has blown me away with their pursuit of hospitality is the Gennells. They invited our family for dinner soon after they started visiting KGC. We are one of many families who have been blessed by their generous gift of hospitality.
I want to encourage you that this gift can be given on Sunday mornings right here as we greet one another and welcome our guests, which, by the way, you do so well already. We are blessed with this beautiful family home to use for hospitality, with teas, showers, prayer meetings, play groups, and the list of ideas is virtually endless!!
To help spur us on, may I remind you that whatever you do to the least of these, you do to Jesus. This is a helpful reminder for me when I am battling my natural desire to stay in my comfort zone and only engage people who are like me.
The command doesn’t require gourmet meals, meticulous homes, or perfectly godly families. It's not about that. It's about being like our Lord, who invites us to open the door and enjoy fellowship with Him. (Rev. 3:20)
I'm so thankful for that first experience of hospitality I had when I was so young and struggling to understand the Lord. If it hadn't been for this family and the other Christians reaching out and expressing God's heart to me, I do not know where I'd be today.
Some ideas:
Pray for the Lord's direction in our pursuit of this gift and command.
Set goals: specific people to invite over or out, schedule dates.
Don’t forget the widows, students, guests and new members among us.
Be open to inviting new guests to join you for a meal once in a while after church. (this gives us the opportunity to "entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it" Hebrews 13:2) We may not ever get to host angels, but we will do have the privilege of honoring the Lord by loving and serving His precious children.
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