Sunday 2nd March was Jen’s last Sunday with us as a curate. We read Matthew 14:22-36 and Jen shared her reflections on the excitement and challenge of leaving the safety of the harbour and responding to God’s call to new adventures. ‘We are not meant for the harbour…we gather to be equipped so we can go out and grow God’s kingdom.’ You can listen here or using the player below.
Helen and I are a part of the leadership of The Order of Mission, a charity connecting missionaries, church planters and community leaders. Though we’re not a huge network we have a global reach. Last week I was able to gather with some other members from accross Europe. It was an inspiring adventure!
We were led by Mark Burgess who, as many of you know, leads a network of missional communities in Peru. Over the two days Mark unpacked 1 Corinthians 2: 1-5 and called us to embrace the weakness of knowing nothing but Christ crucified and the determination to demonstrate God’s power through signs and wonders.
It was amazing to be able to hear stories of very ordinary people making disciples in Peru, working among asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking in Finland, seeking renewal in Germany and the Netherlands and planting churches full of all generations in Italy.
My friends Marco and Cinzia took us to see their garden project – quite miraculously God enabled them to buy an unused vineyard which is being transformed into a garden. They are employing young adults to work the land, teaching them life skills and sharing with them the gospel. Their amibition is to turn the land, and its buildings into a centre of training and mission for southern Europe.
I left full of thankfulness (and amazing Italian food). The trip was a reminder that the things God has called us to here – building and releasing communities of followers of Jesus – are a part of renewal around the world!
On Sunday 3rd November we were visited by Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s country director for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Poppy shared stories of her life and work in DRC, the challenges she, her family and her team have faced, and how they have experienced God’s goodness in the midst of difficulty. The reading is John 1:1-5. You can listen here or using the player below. You can find out more about Tearfund’s work in DRC here.
Kairos supports the work of International Justice Mission (IJM), a Christian charity which exists to bring an end to modern slavery, human trafficking and violence. On Sunday 7th July, we welcomed local IJM ambassadors Colin and Judith Ashurst who shared with us about the work of IJM. Judith read the story of God’s call to Moses to lead the people of Israel to freedom (Exodus 2:23-3:17) and spoke to us about God’s concern for all who are enslaved and abused. You can listen here or using the player below.
If you would like to find out more about the work of IJM and how you can support them, you can visit their website here.
On Sunday 5th May, we were visited by Mark Burgess, one of our mission partners from Oikos Peru who shared stories about his work and calling then spoke about Acts 1:1-11, Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples before his ascension. Mark encouraged us in our waiting for God’s calling to come to fruition in our lives and invited us to receive God’s Spirit to transform and equip us to fulfil God’s call. You can listen here or using the player below.
The image is a statue of Christ the protector in Cusco, Peru.
You can listen to Ben’s talk from the 6th August by downloading it here or using the player below. The reading was Genesis 12: 1-5.
On Sunday 30th July, Paul continued our Frontline Sunday series talking about ‘Whoevert we are’. The reading was Galatians 4:6-7.
You can download the talk here or listen on the player below.
We showed the video below after the talk.
Sunday 18th June was our second Frontline Sunday, exploring how we meet and serve God in the places we spend everyday life: our frontlines.
Jen spoke on Genesis 28: 10-22: Wherever we are. You can download the talk here or listen on the player below.
We used the video from LICC below to introduce the theme.
Our Central Gathering Talks this term are helping us think through how we meet and serve God in the places where we spend everyday life: our homes, workplaces, neighbourhoods. We call these our Frontlines.
We are using LICC’s Frontline Sunday material. You can watch a short video introducing the theme below.
I am able to share God’s story and my story.
Your story is caught up in God’s great story of creation, fall, redemption and new creation. Your story has always been part of God’s story and with each step you take following Jesus the stories become more intertwined.
Sometimes we find it hard to understand or articulate this, sometimes we’re not sure about the story we are telling or want to tell, or about the stories we’ve heard about God. But God invites us to immerse ourselves in God’s story. The primary way we will be able to do that is as we read, explore and chew over the bible. Its the bible that shows us the story God is telling. One of my favourite ways I’ve heard the bible described is as ‘a unified story that points to Jesus.’
You also have a story that you are living out and telling to the world, it is a story of God and you and the people around you, it is a story where the hero is Jesus! You are one of the best demonstrations and explanations of what it looks like to follow Jesus in the present day.
How confident do you feel telling God’s story?
What is the story that your life tells?
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15
Thank you Father that I have a story
and I’m part of your story.
Help me find my voice,
and share our stories well.
Amen.
Ponder
Do you find it easy to read, understand and tell the story the bible tells?
What might help you grow in confidence about knowing and sharing God’s story?
What are you most grateful for about scripture? What do you find hard or difficult?
When do you get to encounter the bible? How often do you find yourself reading, listening to or sharing God’s word?
How do you feel about the story your life is telling?
What is your story? Why is it that you are trying to follow Jesus?
What is God teaching you or doing in you at this time?
Try This
Are you intrigued about the idea of the bible as a ‘unified story that points to Jesus’? Its a phrase used by The Bible Project.
Their website is full of videos and tools to help make the bible more understandable and shareable. Why not spend some time exploring: bibleproject.com
If you are working through a book or some daily readings try telling someone else about it. If you aren’t try asking some Kairos friends what they use.
Can you describe why you are following Jesus? Take some time to write down your story. Thank God for it, and ask for a chance to share part of it with others.
Can you describe what God is showing you or teaching you right now? Can you think of a way to describe what you are practicing or trying this Lent? Again write a few thoughts down, thank God and ask for a chance to share.
Deliberately practice telling other people about things your are interested in or passionate about – often people are interested in people who have interests. This doesn’t have to be specifically faith related – just practice getting used to sharing the things that are important to you.
Practice asking others what they are interested in or thinking about. Often we miss out on sharing stories because we don’t ask people about theirs.
Do you use social media? Is there a way you could share a part of God’s story in a positive, generous, loving way.
Continue a ‘try this’ practice you found helpful last week.
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