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On Sunday in our Central Gathering we talked about God’s Call. We had fun identifying together the Purposes and Promises God gives to those he calls, and the purposes and promises he has for us. If you want to, you can listen to the sermon here: http://wp.me/p4E7sz-I3

This week I’ve been thinking about those things some more, and reflecting on Paul’s declaration to the Philippians:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 NIV)

Paul is running for a prize. What is it? It is purpose and promise; it is nothing less than everything God has for him. Running for this requires perseverance: Paul forgets what is behind and presses on.

One way of thinking about our MSCs is as communities that have formed around running after a particular prize. There are purposes and promises God has given to each one that we are called to persevere as we run towards those things. Do you have a sense of the prize God has for your community?

We must persevere through many things. I’ve become increasingly aware, however, of one area that can stop us even before we started running. That is preference. Our choice.

We all bring sets of ideas about what church should be like, about how far we are willing to go for God, about the kind of life we want, about the way we want people to think of us. These preferences influence what we say yes to and what we say no to, what gatherings we choose to go to, which opportunities we respond to, how we react to people of peace and so many other aspects of our discipleship. Often they operate on an unconscious level – we don’t think they are unusual because we’ve lived with them for a long time. I think God wants to work on these preference.

Paul counted his preferences as nothing, he set them aside to strain towards the prize. I think we need to get more used to doing the same thing. As leaders this means making hard decisions for ourselves, but we also need to help others in our MSCs do the same. Often this is done by creating opportunities where personal preferences will need to be exposed, acknowledged and worked through.

Do you have a sense of God’s purposes and promises for your MSC?

Can you see where preference – yours or other people’s in your MSC might be holding people back from perseverance?

Ben

I really enjoy the accounts of the resurrection appearances of Jesus at the end of John’s gospel. The beginning of John 21:1-14 shows Peter and six others by the sea of Galilee. We often imagine that life for the disciples was constant action and overlook the amount of waiting they did – very reassuring. Here they are waiting, yet again. Peter announces that he is going fishing – in the waiting he is simply going to do something he can do – fish. Of course that is what he was doing when first called and he encounters Jesus once again in the process of fishing. So often we focus on the miracle – a net-breaking catch of fish – and miss other things. Encounters with Jesus are often in ordinary things – they are extraordinary in the the ordinary, the ordinary things we can do are often the things that we encounter Jesus in. Recently Rachel Wilkinson and Elaine Higgins started Stuffers – an MSC forming around something that they can do – crafts – something they enjoy doing and expect other people will like to do. When Penny and I started Allsorts MSC we just simply did something we could do – something we could start with: had people round to eat together…. and we are continuing to do that together encountering Jesus as we go.
Missional Communities aren’t rocket science. They are essentially simple…… shaped around things that we can do and want to do together because the God of mission is at work and we will encounter him in the midst of it and on the way. There may be lots of change after that but it’s okay….. you’ve got to start somewhere – why not start with what you like doing, what you can do and what can occupy you while you wait expectantly for the guaranteed encounter with Jesus.
I think that is one of the keys to starting an MSC – simply doing something – clarity of vision follows. Resurrection Bikes is another example of this. John Rowe and Andy Ryland get involved in doing something – something they like doing and it grows and develops. “Let’s just do something we enjoy” grows into, well, something else – they realise that what is developing needs focus, encouragement and a way forward and so Resurrection Bikes is born, an emerging Kairos MSC.
Over the last couple of weeks two more Kairos MSCs have emerged. As I think about them I’m reminded of the way in which Peter took a group of friends who were gathering with him off on his little fishing trip. Pippa & Matt, Ben & Helen have both got people who are simply happy to go ‘fishing’ with them. Going together is so important – starting with a group who are willing to go and do something. These two MSCs also have a sense of vision, to young adults and young families respectively – they know what they are fishing for.
Of course we aren’t all called to start an MSC – some of us simply need to function like the six others that were with Peter – they replied to Peter’s statement “I’m going out to fish” saying “we’ll go with you”. I’m pretty sure that Nathaniel – one of the disciples mentioned wasn’t a fisherman which is helpful to know – he just went along & I guess did what he was instructed to do to contribute to the trip. Perhaps you are really committed to participating in missional community and need to say to someone else who has a vision “we’ll go with you”. Missional community /Mission shaped community is nothing without vision and even less without community! Let’s be people who say “we’ll go with you”.
As I reflected further on this passage I was thinking about the simplicity implied in the life with Jesus that we see in these encounters – this again is what MSC life is all about – keeping things simple. Last Saturday we hosted a Discipleship & Mission Workshop day and one of the things that people participating noted was how profoundly simple the Triangle: UP IN OUT is and how effective it can be in keeping us focussed and effective.
What’s God saying to you at the moment? Maybe reflecting on this encounter in John 21 may help.

Mark

At our Gatherings we are asking the question What is God doing? One of the things God does & is doing is Restoration

When I think of God’s restoration my immediate thought is Psalm 126 which talks about God restoring the fortunes of his people. The Psalm is split into four parts – there’s a story. a song, a prayer and a promise – have a look and see whether you can spot them.

God’s story is a restoration story – he is restoring human beings to the place that they were designed for. Each of us has a story of God’s restoring work. At least one story. These are stories of having our fortunes turned around, of experiencing freedom from captivity. BUT WE ARE SO GRUMPY that we forget God’s restoring work. In the Old Testament we see God’s people losing out because they got grumpy – moaning and grumbling about a perceived lack of provision crucially forgetting what God had done for them.

There is lots going on our lives – much that can make us grumpy. There are disagreeable things, things we don’t ‘get’ that frustrate us. People annoy us, little things irritate us & get under our skin. We make mountains out of molehills and are easily drawn into what one Bible version called “idle controversies”. We, the church, are so grumpy that we lose our grip on the story we have & the song of restoration that should be on our lips.

We owe the world around us some JOY!

When I reflect on God’s work of restoration in my life as the Psalm says: my mouth fills with laughter and my tongue with songs of joy. In other words I am joyful and communicate that joyfulness to others. Are you joyful? No? Try reconnecting with the story of restoration in your life and see what happens.

Last week at Base Camp I was telling the story of Kairos again – it’s great to have a story – and what a story! Every time I tell it (which is quite a lot!) I am reminded of God’s faithfulness- it is a story of restoration, of embracing new freedoms as a church. It’s been challenging & difficult at times, we’ve had to count the cost & pay a price but the prize is being able to say “The Lord has done great things”.

The next part of our church story is being lived out at the moment- how we closed MSCs in faith so that others could emerge. Two new MSCs this week, one the week before. More to come as we live out the adventure of restoration together in a community of communities.

In the midst of the challenges of living – do remember the story of God’s restoration in your life.

Seek in your communities both existing and emerging to sing the story of restoration. Don’t let grumpiness cost you the joy of the adventure we have with our restoring God.

Mark

This term at central gatherings our sermons are going to be focussed on the question “What is God doing?”  We are a church are trying to join God in the things he is doing in the world so the question is an essential one to be asking.

Each week we are going to explore one of the things the bible suggests God is doing.   This week we answered:  God Creates!   You can read a short summary of the talk here.

We are made in God’s image!  That means our creator has made us for relationship with him and given us a role reflecting him to the rest of creation.  Our activity as MSCs is an outworking of both these things.

On Sunday I highlighted three aspects of the role:  starting,  blessing and sustaining.  



With that in mind it’s worth spending a little bit of time praying, reflecting and discussing around those three words,  is there one in particular that you might need to focus on as a community for a while?

What might God be calling our MSC to Start?
Is there a something new your community is called to initiate right now.  This could be a response to need,  a new activity that allows people of peace to draw together,  a different way of supporting or helping one another.  

Where might God be calling our MSC to Bless?
How can you speak, and bring about, goodness to those around you.  Perhaps this could look like praying together regularly for people of peace and asking God for words for them or maybe you could think of some simple service type activities,  giving out gifts,  litter picking etc.  that bless people and places around you.

How might God be calling our MSC to Sustain?
What is going on in the lives of people in your community that needs a bit of protection?  Are there particular folk that need the rest of you to gather round and help.  This could be really practical things: babysitting,  gardening, money or it could be support through prayer, through listening or even through a bit of challenge.  Are there people of peace connected to the community who need some of this sustaining work too?

Remember relationship comes before role.
We do run the risk that our MSCs simply become clubs of worn-out do-gooders.  As you think about what God might be calling you to start, bless or sustain do also focus on your relationship with the maker – how can you as a community support and challenge each other in this area.  Is it time to have a bit of focus on praying,  worshiping, reading the bible together and meeting with God?