On 6th October, we read Acts 28:1-16 as Paul and others arrive on the island of Malta after their shipwreck. Jude Smith asked us, what is your Kingdom ambition? What is it that God invites you into? Sometimes our ambitions are ‘shipwrecked’ as Paul was, but that isn’t the end of our story. How can we welcome people who have been disappointed and hold them in their pain? We continue by prayer and intention, maintaining integrity, sometimes waiting and resting, sometimes spotting the Kingdom activity that happens in the unexpected diversion. You can listen here or using the player below.
Reflecting on the story of Paul’s shipwreck from Acts 27:21-44, Sarah asks, ‘Whose voice do we trust in a storm?’ God is with us in every difficulty, not sparing us or giving us an escape route but present alongside us. Trusting in God’s presence and friendship is the foundation for our prayers, actions and courage. We may see God’s blessing extend beyond us to those around us. You can listen here or using the player below.
Mandy visited Kairos on 4th August and spoke to us about Saul’s conversion story recorded in Acts 9:1-19. Are we viewing the world, our circumstances and other people from God’s perspective? Do we need to change? Empowered by God’s Spirit and with the support and encouragement of the Christian community, change is possible. You can listen here or using the player below.
Continuing our series on friendship with God and other people, Ben reflects on the courage of Peter and John in Acts 4:1-21. They have healed a man in Jesus’ name and now they are facing criticism from the religious authorities, trusting in Jesus’ promise that they will be given the words they need in the face of hostility. Ben explores how we can allow God to cultivate this sort of courage in us as individuals and in community, helping us to overcome the temptation to fight or run away (even when that seems like a sensible option) and instead accept God’s invitation to live in freedom in troubling times, perceiving more clearly what God is doing, and ‘weaving a canopy of trust under which other people can find shelter’ (Elizabeth Oldfield, ‘Fully Alive’).
What do you need courage for? Who might God be inviting you to stand with? How might God grow courage in you?
Continuing our series on friendship, Jen reflects on Jesus’ inclusive and mutually supportive friendships with women and asks how we can use the power and privilege we have to invite others into community. The reading is Luke 8 v1-3. You can listen here or using the player below.
A couple of weeks ago I shared a vision for friendship-building among us. This Sunday gives some space to invest in relationships.
As its a 5th Sunday there is no Central Gathering and usual community patterns will be interrupted.
How, if you are around, might you be able to use that time to invest in friendship with others? Perhaps you could go or a walk with someone, or arrange to have a coffee or share food? Maybe you could get together for a game or to go to an event?
There are all sorts of simple ways you could build up friendship – how could you use your 5th Sunday, or another time this week, to take a small step?
At The Feast I suggested God might be inviting us into deeper friendship and connection this year. If you didn’t get to hear the talk, or would like another listen, you can find a recorded version here.
I thought I’d share with you a couple of the things that had been inspiring me as I prepared for the feast.
The first was this short spoken word piece by Phil Knox, I think it captures powerfully the desire for friendship that many have.
“Christian friendships are call-and-response friendships. We tell each other over and over, back and forth, the truth of who we are and who God is.”
How is it going finding, cultivating and being the kind of friends who ‘tell each other over and over… the truth of who we are and who God is’?
Its not always easy, it takes time and attention and can be painful, but its worth it!
I thought I’d start asking Kairos people to tell me how they build friendships and what challenges they face in relationships on their frontlines. I love what two different people told me this week:
“I find taking an interest in what people do to relax and what motivates them/makes them tick normally provides space for relationships to grow. Also, establishing a rapport through perhaps sharing a humorous anecdote often works quite well for me.”
“What helps me most is time to pause with others, which is also a challenge because of our busy adult working life. Friendships come from times you allow yourself to stop and take a breath with someone else. I try to connect, listen and respond to the people I am with.”
Thank you to the people who shared those ideas with me. What do you think? How do you make and build friendships? What are the challenges to relationships on your frontline?
Last Sunday was the Feast! We celebrated our 13th Birthday, looked back over the last year and looked ahead to a 23-24 vision to build… friendships. We didn’t manage to get a recording of the actual sermon but really wanted to make the talk available to those who missed it or were helping on different teams, so Ben made another recording. You can download it here or listen on the player below.
I have friends who aren’t yet Christians and can spot people of peace.
We are not called to keep ourselves to ourselves or to stay within our own little bubbles. Just like his followers in the New Testament, Jesus sends us out into our everyday lives.
It can be very easy to either stick with groups who think or act just like us, or to adapt our ways of speaking and thinking to match the people we spend life with. Jesus sends us out with a greeting of peace: we can make friends with people around us, and we have something distinctive to offer – our relationship with Him!
As we get to know a wider range of people we find that our own experience and understanding grows. We’ll be better able to practice curiosity and empathy, we’ll be less at risk of isolating ourselves and can learn how others make sense of and understand the world.
We’ll also start to spot people of peace – those people in whom God is already at work, who God is drawing to Godself. These people get to take a step closer to Jesus because they happen to know you!
Whatever house you enter, begin by saying, ‘Peace to this house.’Luke 10: 5
Lord I give my relationships to you. Show me how to build friendships with people different to me, train me to use empathy and curiosity to build links so that I might learn from others, and help them come closer to you. Amen.
Ponder
Where do you get to spend time with people who are different to you? More specifically where do you get to be with people who don’t share your faith?
How easy do you find it to be yourself in those places? Do you ever find yourself getting nervous or defensive, or overly judgemental and offensive? How might you become someone who can offer peace?
Think about your friendships, who might God already be working in, drawing them to Godself? Are there people who might be interested in an invitation to a coffee, to try out a Kairos Community or Gathering, or just to spend a bit more time with you?
Try This
Perhaps you have lots of friends who aren’t yet Christians, spend some time praying for them. Ask God to Awaken them to his love, bless them, Increase their curiosity and draw them want to explore more.
Ask God to show you if there are people in your life who are already curious or interested in faith. Pray for that person each day and ask God to show you how to encourage them as they explore.
Perhaps you don’t have many friends but you do already have a place where you get to meet people who don’t think or act or live as you do? Think of a way you could invest in friendships in that place. That could be deliberately staying there longer, finding the social spots in that area, or trying to get to know one person there better.
Perhaps you find it hard to identify places where you get to mix with people. Ask God to show you how to do that, think about places you do go that you know others will also inhabit. Talk through your thoughts with another Kairos person, or with your Kairos Community.
When you meet with others from Kairos, include some time to name and pray for people you each think might be ‘people of peace.’
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