Taking the Next Step
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post called “The Next Step.” In that post, I talked about how important it is for us to talk about service and to encourage one another to serve others. But, I wondered out loud what it would look like – and what it would mean for the church – if we actually took the next step and left to serve others directly from our meeting together.
This is what I called “the next step” – the step away from concept and toward action. The step away from talking about discipleship and service toward actually discipling and serving others. I wrote:
Imagine, we’re sitting together as the church (either around tables or in a circle), and someone expresses a struggle with sharing the gospel with a neighbor. We encourage the person and pray for him or her. Then – the next step – someone offers to go with that brother or sister (perhaps at that very moment) to share the gospel with the neighbor. Or, perhaps someone else offers to take the struggling brother or sister along on a trip to the food pantry when the gospel is often shared.
There are so many possibilities, but it means taking the next step – the step away from concept and toward action.
Well, last Sunday, we started taking that step.
During the month of November, out teaching/discussions on Sundays with the church have focused on the great commandment and the great commission. We’ve primarily exhorted and challenged one another to think about how we can take the community that we share in Christ out to others. We’ve talked about taking our “shared life in Christ” to those who are also in Christ but do not share community with others, and we’ve talked about taking our community to those who are not believers.
Last Sunday, Rodney was planning to lead our teaching/discussion time. He sent an email before Sunday letting everyone know what we would be talking about, so that we could all come prepared. Here is part of his email:
How can we, practically and specifically, help each other to abide in Chirst (and thereby fuel our love for God and our love and service to others in the name of Christ)? To help us be practical and specific… what ways have others helped you grow in your faith, trust, and obedience to Christ? And in what other ways could others help you? (emphasis in original email)
So, when we got together, we did talk about practical and specific way that we could help others and ways that we could be helped. Several people shared opportunities that they’d had in the last couple of weeks to demonstrate the love of God, or times when they’d witnessed and been encouraged by others as they loved and served in the name of Jesus.
Slowly, a few people began making suggestions about how we could specifically serve others. One sister told about an opportunity to spend time in a local hospital. Another sister shared about a family who was having financial problems. A brother shared about his neighbor. A couple of sisters talked about the elderly people they see during the week. The church could serve all of these people in some ways.
Then, a young lady – a teenager actually – spoke up. She had gone with us when we had provided “More Meals” to some of the needy people in our area. She remembered that one of the elderly ladies that we had visited needed her yard raked.
And, this is where we took “the next step.” Margaret, my wife, suggested that whoever was available that afternoon could go to this lady’s house and rake her leaves. Everyone thought this was a great idea! So, we ate lunch together, then several of us (about 14) went to the lady’s and raked the leaves in her yard.
The lady was so surprised and grateful! Margaret and another friend (and our daughters) will continue to see this lady and her husband at least once per week. They will continue to be able to impact their lives with the love of Christ. And, now, because we took the next step, the whole community is involved in this couple’s life!
I’m praying that we continue to take the next step.
More Meals
A friend of ours is the Meals on Wheels volunteer coordinator for our city. My wife, Margaret, helps her deliver meals. Often, our daughters will accompany them.
The Center for Aging in our county actually cooks the meals. The volunteers go to the center to pick up the meals, and then deliver the meals. They deliver meals to about ten people each day of the week.
However, the center was closed on Thursday and Friday. So, there were no meals to deliver on those days.
But, our friend and Margaret decided that they wanted to provide meals anyway. So, they invited our friends from church to join them. Several families worked together to prepare the food, package it, and then deliver it.
My part was simple. I helped pack the rolls and slices of pumpkin pie. Then, I had the opportunity to help deliver the meals to some beautiful people. They were elderly, most of them under hospice care. Many of them wanted to talk, so we spent a few minutes talking with them.
This was a great way to spend the day after Thanksgiving. I’m still thanking God for this opportunity to love others in his name.
We’ve found that God will provide many, many opportunities to serve him by serving others, if we look for them and if we’re willing to give of our own time, energy, and resources.
Video Interviews Coming
In the next couple of weeks (perhaps as early as next week), I’m going to add a new feature to “The Assembling of the Church”: video interviews. This morning, I recorded the first part of my first interview with my friend Jason White from “Second and Content.” During three or four interviews, Jason is going to tell us about his recent decision to move to South Africa for a year.
My plan is for my interviews with Jason to be the first in a series of video interviews with people that God has brought into my life or used in my life in some way. I’m hoping that their stories and examples of serving others in the name of Jesus Christ will be an encouragement and a challenge for all of us.
I haven’t decided if I’m only going to set up these video interviews as a separate category on this blog, or if I’m going to also publish them as a video podcast. Do you have any suggestions?
When to “one another”
There are alot of “one another” passages in the New Testament, aren’t there? You know what I mean, right? I’m talking about instructions and commands to “love one another,” “teach one another,” “forgive one another,” “admonish one another,” “serve one another,” etc. etc. etc.
Obviously, this kind of relational interaction should occur throughout a believers life. I mean, “one anothers” should happen when he is at work, or when she is in school, or when they are at home, or when she is at the fitness center, or when he is shopping.
But, what about when the church meets? Are we responsible to interact with one another in these ways when we are meeting together? What do you think that would look like?
And sees his brother in need…
Frank at “Reimagining Church” makes an impassioned plea for “Helping the Family in this Economy: A Great Need.” He reminds us of how the early church helped one another during times of financial (or other) crisis. (Remember the great famine? Acts11:28-30)
Frank says:
In my country (the USA), we are facing an economic crisis. While the world looks to and waits for the government to solve our financial problems, I know many believers who are out of work. Some are struggling to put food on their tables each day.
Thankfully, the Lord has financially blessed some in the body of Christ today, and they are prospering despite the economic downturn…
All told: it’s on my heart today to say the following to every disciple of Jesus: If you are doing well financially, may I encourage you to seek the Lord regarding helping those who are hurting right now, especially those who part of the household of faith — your fellow sisters and brothers in Christ, members of the family of God?
Frank’s plea and exhortation reminds me of what John wrote:
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:17-18 ESV)
I echo Frank’s challenge. Please consider giving to those who are struggling during this economic downturn (especially to your brothers and sisters). If you do not know of individuals or families that you can help, pray and keep your eyes open. If you still don’t know of anyone, let me know. I can point you in the direction of several hurting families.
The Next Step
As some of my readers know (and some may not know), when our church meets together, the teaching is a little different than the teaching (preaching?) when most churches meet. What do I mean? Well, typically, our teaching is in the form of a discussion.
Generally, we have an agreed up subject or passage of Scripture. Someone agrees to teach that subject or passage. What that means is that that person facilitates a discussion concerning the subject or passage. The amount of lecture combined with discussion/dialog depends on who is teaching / facilitating our teaching time.
Since more than one person is speaking, the teaching can get very specific. Someone may ask a specific question that affects what the person is facing in life. Another person may make a completely different comment, but just as specific and just as personal to that person or to someone else.
The last time we met as a church, we met around tables. When we do this, along with the teaching I described above, the person leading our teaching also gives us a question or topic to discuss around each table (with 6-10 people at each table). In this way, even more people take part in the teaching, and even more specific and personal questions or applications or problems or comments are considered.
This type of teaching is much more direct and more personal and (I think) more discipling than any other that I’ve ever experienced. But, there may still be something missing. Let me try to explain.
Margaret, my wife, and I were talking about the teaching and our time together. Later, we also talked with another couple who are our close friends. We all agreed that something is missing, and that’s the next step. The next step would be for the teaching to move beyond words and concepts into action.
Let me give you an example. Suppose, for instance, that we’re talking about reaching out to our neighbors, coworkers, family, etc. with the gospel. As we talk about this subject, several people may offer specific examples of opportunities that they’ve had to share the gospel with others. Others, then, would probably share that they know that they need to share the gospel (and they may even have someone specific in mind), but they struggle with doing that. We would probably encourage that person, and even pray for him or her right then.
But, what about the next step? What needs to happen next? Well, someone needs to come alongside that person and help him or her to share the gospel with the other person that God has brought to mind. And, that could happen right away.
Imagine, we’re sitting together as the church (either around tables or in a circle), and someone expresses a struggle with sharing the gospel with a neighbor. We encourage the person and pray for him or her. Then – the next step – someone offers to go with that brother or sister (perhaps at that very moment) to share the gospel with the neighbor. Or, perhaps someone else offers to take the struggling brother or sister along on a trip to the food pantry when the gospel is often shared.
There are so many possibilities, but it means taking the next step – the step away from concept and toward action.
I think this is an important step for us (and any church and all believers) to take. Why? Because discipleship (becoming more mature in Jesus Christ) is not only about concepts. Instead, it’s also about obediently following Jesus Christ throughout our lives.
Have you ever been part of a church meeting when people took the next step, and actually acted to help a brother or sister right away (it doesn’t have to be with evangelism, it could be with anything)? What do you think?
Seeking Opportunities to “One Another”
A few days ago, my friend Maël at “The Adventures of Maël & Cindy” published a post called “Those ‘one another’s.” Almost everyone knows about all the instructions and examples in Scripture in which the authors exhort their readers to think about others. In the post, Maël listed these “one another’s”:
bearing one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2)
encouraging one another (1 Th 4:18; Heb 10:25)
exhorting one another (Heb 3:13)
praying for one another
confessing our sins to one another (Jm 5:16)
speaking the truth in love to one another (Eph 4:15)
admonishing one another (Col 3:16)
building up one another (1 Th 5:11)
teaching one another (Col 3:16)
comforting one another (1 Cor 13:11)
submitting to one another (Eph 5:21)
serving one another (Mt 20:27-8)
patiently bearing one another (Eph 4:2)
regarding one another as more important than ourselves (Rom 12:10)
caring for one another (1 Pt 4:10)
exercising our spiritual gifts to serve one another (1 Pt 4:10)
being kind and tenderhearted to one another (Eph 4:32)
forgiving one another (Eph 4:32)
loving one another (Jn 13:34-5)
In response, my friend Jonathan commented, “A good follow up question, are we seeking opportunities to do them or are we sitting by passively doing them whenever someone gets desperate enough to ask for it?”
I’ve been thinking about Jonathan’s question since I read it a few days ago. I think he points out a huge difference in how we live our lives among other believers and among the world. Do we sit back and wait for people to ask us for help, or do we actively seek opportunities to help others, to teach others, to forgive others, to care for others?
Looking at Maël’s list, which “one another” do you think is most difficult to you? Thinking about Jonathan’s question, how important is it that we actively seek opportunities to do these “one another’s”?
Community in name only?
Three years ago, I wrote a post called “Community in name only?” In this post, I’m hoping to begin a dialog about what it means for a group of people to be a community. I hope you take part in the discussion.
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Imagine that you move into a new city. Just down the street from your new house is a building with steeple and a cross and a sign which reads “Community Church”. On Sunday morning you and your family walk to this building at the time indicated on the sign. You file through the doors, where you are greeted and handed an order of service. You find your way to a seat and wait with others while soft music plays in the background.
The meeting begins with someone welcoming you and your family and other “visitors”, and then quickly transitions into a time of music. You recognize some of the songs and sing along. Other songs are new, but you quickly pick up the tune and begin to sing on the second or third verse. One song in particular speaks to you and the frustrations that have been brought on by your recent move. An offering is taken to support the activities of this Community Church.
Next, someone teaches from a particular passage of Scripture. The teaching makes sense and the speaker is entertaining, but overall the message of the teaching is not particularly meaningful to where you are in life. You agree with everything the speaker says, but find your mind wandering to things that are pressing on you at the moment.
At the end of the service you are again addressed, along with other “visitors”, and you are all encouraged to make Community Church your church home. Several people shake your hand and introduce themselves as you all make your way out of the building, into your cars, and back home or to nearby restaurants.
That afternoon, while you are unpacking some of your boxes, someone from Community Church drops by. You had dutifully filled out the “visitors” card, so you were expecting this visit. The gentleman is nice and polite. He apologizes for interrupting you and asks if you have any questions about the church. You ask him why the church calls itself “Community Church”. He tells you about the different activities available at Community Church, encourages you to “join”, offers you some material, then dismisses himself graciously.
As he drives away, and as you return to your unpacking, you wonder to yourself, “If Community Church is a true community instead of a community in name only, what would I expect of them? How would I expect them to act towards me and my family, as outsiders? How would I expect them to act towards one another? What would I expect to happen on Sundays? What would I expect to happen other days of the week?”
How would you answer these questions? [By the way, I’m not saying that this fictitious group of believers known as “Community Church” is a community in name only. Instead, I’m asking what would you expect from a group of people that was a true community and not a community in name only.]
Traveling and Friends
Our family is traveling to Washington, D.C. But, this trip will be a little different. While this will be a family vacation (and, as homeschoolers, also educational), it will also be a “friends” vacation. What do I mean?
Well, first of all, we’re traveling with another family. We’ll be spending alot of time together over the next few days.
Also, we’ll be meeting other friends in the D.C. area. One family now lives near D.C., and we’ll see them for the first time in several years. Another family happens to be traveling through the area at the same time, so we’ll get to see them also.
Finally, another family is house/pet sitting for us while we are gone.
So, while this will be a family vacation, it will also be a vacation that is all about friends.
(We took a “friends” vacation to Disney World last year, and we love spending vacation time with friends. You should try it.)
Eating Together = Anti-Ritual?
Felicity Dale at “Simply Church” has written a very interesting post called “This helps to prevent religious rituals in a simple/organic church.” What is the “this” that she’s talking about? Eating together.
She writes:
Most simple/organic churches meet in the context of a meal. Â There is something about eating together that enables fellowship, and it’s harder to be “religious” where food is involved. Â Eating together usually involves laughter and sharing, good-natured banter and deep heart-to-heart discussions. Â As one of our friends likes to say, “How do you spell fellowship? Â It’s four letters:
F-O-O-D!
Most groups that we know share a potluck meal–it is reproducible and doesn’t leave too much work with the host family. Â A lot of fellowship goes on too over the preparation of food and the clean-up later. Â Some groups may even have their whole time together around the dining table.
I’ve also discovered that it is helpful to treat the meal as important as other parts of meeting together.
What do you think?