Limit-Less (Part 2)

by Jonathan Manafo | Nov 21, 2018 | Sunday Conversations

In last week’s conversation we felt like we hit a sweet spot…a bit of a nerve. You can check out the full recap (here). I’m guessing this is because many of us may be tired or burdened. Well of course we are…life is filled with heaviness and energy sucking activities.

(Anyone shut their phone off more, not sleep with it, finish work earlier or on time, etc?)

Well, Limit-Less is a 2 week series. A two sided coin. A two part conversation.

As much as we want to invite and welcome, healthy limits and boundaries, to protect, to nurture, to build us up, to reenergize and fill us…
There are limits…glass ceilings…lids…that others have placed on us, that we even put on ourselves, that inhibit us from doing what we were called and created to do…becoming who were called and created to be.Both Matthew 11 & Genesis 2, the texts we looked at last week, reflect a balance to this equation: Rest & Work. Sit & Serve. Fill-up & Spill out.

Jesus’ words about his yoke, help us see this balance. After all, a yoke is a tool to work efficiently and effectively. And the creation story is a story of creative work, followed by holy and blessed rest.

This is (or should be) our pattern: We work, we run, we influence, we produce, and then we pause, we sabbath, we rest…so we can get back to doing what God has called us to do.

Jesus, in his ministry, showed us time and again, that when he retreated, he emerged ready to serve, to heal, to teach, to do the impossible and change the world.

On this side of the Limit-Less coin…in this mode…in our work, in our calling, in our dreams…don’t let anyone or anything stop you from doing and achieving your good work.

Paul’s words, a pep talk if you will, in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 should inspire us…
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

ALL THINGS
NOTHING WILL LIMIT or STOP me from doing what God has called me to do. RUN like you wanna win.

In Romans 8:37-39, we read Paul’s own inspiration for this drive…
…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Limits removed. Obstacles taken away. Lids blown off.

The question is…
Who put a lid on your calling? 
Who dropped an obstacle in your path? 
What happened that made you think you couldn’t or shouldn’t or wouldn’t?

– – – – – – – –

Maybe this OT story will help us here.

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Leading up to chapter 16 we see that…
– Israel had wanted a king like the other nations. A king that wasn’t God. They begged God for this.
– God said ‘fine, I’ll give you Saul’
– Saul does not turn out to be good. He gets things wrong at every turn. Never realizing that leading God’s people is different than leading other nations.
– And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. (these words end chapter 15)

From there we reach chapter 16.

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
² But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

• Samuel is sent on a mission to find a new leader
• Samuel is afraid (of being killed…or at least he expresses this)
• Limit #1 = FEAR
• How many times have we not done what we should, what God would have us do, something that could make a huge difference, because we were afraid?
• What are we afraid of? Failing? Falling? Embarrassment? “_____________”
• Don’t let fear stop you from doing what you know you should do.

The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”
⁴ Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
⁵ Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

• Again, Samuel is on a mission to find a new leader
• He veers towards what he thinks God wants
  • Age, Ability, Resume, Height, Outer strength and appearance
• Limit #2 = I’m not ________ enough.
  • Wrong age, not able, too short, too weak, not enough experience,
• How many times have we not done what we should, what God would have us do, something that could make a huge difference, because we or someone else put a limit or lid on us?
• Don’t ever let someone else’s lid keep you from where you should be
• Don’t ever let someone else’s expectations keep you from getting to where God wants you to be
• Don’t ever let AGE, ABILITY, STATURE, WEALTH, EXPERIENCE, ____________ limit you…
  • And don’t ever put those lids on someone else…
  • (google HDDH Marcus Stroman)

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

• I love this last line
• We will wait. We will hold on a min or more.
• Limit #3 = Time…it’s a limit we can’t allow to get in our way
• Most people miss opportunities simply because they couldn’t wait for the moment to arrive.

¹² So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.

The beginnings of the story of King David is profound. To think that because of Age, Ability, Height, Time, he could’ve been overlooked. But God wouldn’t let that happen. To him…or to you.

What is limiting you? What’s in your way? What have you allowed to block you?

TAKE HOME…

If we let every obstacle or limit control our destiny, we wouldn’t do or achieve anything.

God does not put limits on us, he takes them off.
God doesn’t put a lid on us, he removes it.
God says, you can do this. You can achieve this. You are called to this. I’ll put my Spirit on you, and you can walk forward in confidence.

Think about how this effects you. And think about how this effects our church community, and what we think God’s challenging us with here?

• no limits
• no lids
• no obstacles
• keep moving forward
• keep pushing through
• keep obeying, and loving, and serving, and giving, and gathering, and scattering, etc.

Will you balance last week’s Rest with this week’s Run? Stop with Go? Asleep with Awake? Limits with No-Limits? Boundaries with Boundless possibilities?

Let these words from Jesus be your final word:

“With God…ALL things are possible…” (Mk 10)

Limit-Less (part 1)

by Jonathan Manafo | Nov 13, 2018 | Sunday Conversations

(this short video was shown before the talk started)

Limits. Boundaries. Some people don’t like these two words because they make us feel restricted. Stuck. Constrained. Fenced in. Limited. We see those things as negative…like we’re being held back…or not allowed to experience what is at hand.

But what if we needed, for our health, both physically & spiritually, to be…limited?

On November 1 our seasonal focus changed. The day after Halloween it became, “…the most wonderful time of the year”. If we’re honest, we also know it to be, “…the most busiest time of the year”. We are about to enter into a season where our schedules, our calendars, our eating habits, all go out of whack.

So…in light of that…in preparation for what is to come, perhaps it’s a good idea to address our business, our hurry, the lack of limits in our lives.

Limit-Less. A 2 week series. 2 parts.
– Two sided coin
– Limits (healthy, important, balance, breath)
– No Limits (living your best life, experiencing God’s dream for you, making a huge difference in your life and the life of others)

We tend to be on one side or another. Perhaps we’ve been forced by circumstance to push harder, to do more. Or we may be energized by an opportunity to chase or produce. Or we may be sidelined by difficulty and have no choice but to live inside imposed limits. So we tend to either withdraw completely or go all out with no regard for rest or rhythm.

We must learn to balance both sides of this coin.
– Stop/Go
– Rest/Run
– No/Yes
– Limits/Limitless

God is found on both sides of this coin, but can be lost if we don’t learn to balance the two.

We’re going to start with the one we have most trouble with: Limits & Boundaries.

We are a society that doesn’t know when to stop. I know this is true because as you read that statement, you feel it to be true inside you. We don’t know when to stop eating, stop playing, stop working, stop watching TV, etc. However, our faith calls us to be countercultural – to know when to work hard and to know when to punch the clock – to know when to say yes, and when to say no – to know when to limit ourselves and when to break the lid off and shoot for the sky.

Ecclesiastes 3 says…there is a time for everything

A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

Let’s look at 3 places in the scripture where limits, rest, and stillness, work to our advantage. Not just because it’s practical, but because it’s godly.

(1) Are you tired & burdened?

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Two things are going on in this text. We’re invited to find rest in Jesus, and we’re challenged to admit our tiredness.

Jesus’ rest is a yoke of wisdom and love that unites us to him.

• a yoke was used to keep the cattle or farm animals centred on what they were doing and where they were going.
• Jesus says, his yoke is light and pleasant, if you’re walking in the direction he leads, you’ll find rest and joy.
• The yoke he’s talking about keeps us close to him and him close to us.

It’s like Jesus is saying, you don’t have to do this on your own, attach yourself to me and your burden will lighten. (the words gentle & humble follow this)

That’s the invitation. But what about the challenge?

We actually have to have enough humility to acknowledge that we are tired – that we have burdens – that things are weighing us down. Jesus was directly talking about legalism & religion, but it can be a whole lot more. What is that for you?

What makes you tired these days? What is heavy on your shoulders this season?

Do we have it in us to confess our tiredness, our burdens, our trust in the wrong things, and in turn allow Jesus to give us the rest and peace we so long for?

(2) Do you know how to punch out; to finish what you’re doing?

Right at the start of it all, God is our example of setting limits. He is our example of what it means to hit the pause button, to mark a day-off on the calendar, to rest, to create a finish line and say, “I’m done for now”.

Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Take note of 4 words in these verses:
– Finished (x2)
– Rested (x2)
– Blessed & Holy

There seems to be something deeply spiritual about finishing something – something mysteriously beautiful and satisfying about saying, ‘I’m done’. One thing to take away is that completing what you started is always a good thing. However, so is acknowledging that it’s time to punch out. If there is more work to do (or you see it that way) then sometimes you have to create your own finish line and call it a day (or a week).

God finished his work
God rested after he was done
God blessed the seventh day and called his day-off holy

The questions out of this text are…

• Do you honour the work you do by finishing well?
• Do you honour yourself and your health by punching out and actually saying, “I’m done”
• Do you see the blessing and holiness in Sabbath, in rest, in limiting your production?

Sabbath is about ‘not’ producing for a period of time. Not thinking that the world needs you to keep producing that day. Limiting yourself to a set work time, and resting before you get back at it. Reminding yourself that the world doesn’t revolve around your work.

Leaving your worries and anxieties about production, on your desk, and more importantly, on God’s desk.

A few social media posts (tweets) speak to this well. A Rabbi, a Pastor, and a Writer. (this is not a joke I promise)

Shabbat Shalom, y’all. 
May you find rest and joy and connection and hope and the spark of the sacred within yourself sometime in the next 25 hours.
You are good and holy for who you are, intrinsically, not because of what you make or produce.
(rabbi danya ruttenburg, sabbathmanifesto.com)

In a culture with so much noise, chaos, and clutter, we must create space to hear God’s voice. Embrace solitude and silence. Learn to breathe, listen, sabbath, and pray. If Jesus took some to retreat for prayer and silence, how much more do we need it in our lives. (Eugene Cho)

It takes courage to say yes to rest and play, in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol. (Brene Brown)

Think about Sabbath like this…
Less stuff, more stories.
Less clutter, more adventures.
Less debt, more freedom.
Less things, more experiences.
Less busyness, more time.
Less consumption, more creativity.
Less stress, more joy.

So what do we do about this? How do we set healthy limits in our lives that give us the energy to do the good things we are called to do?

TAKE HOME…

Use your calendar wisely and well.
– Mark out times to pause, to stop, to rest, to be present, to listen, to not speak, to unplug.

Shut off your phone.
– This is a problem with all of us in some way, shape or form.
– Phone usage stats are unbelievably high (150 home button touches a day, 2500 touches total a day, 70% sleep with their phone close to them, 90% respond to text messages within 3 min)
– Read this Globe & Mail article “I gave up my smart phone”
– Consider the cell phone sleeping bag

Learn to say no & yes to the right things

Take some kind of Sabbath
– Don’t be religious about it, but be wise about it. Create a finish line for you work or productivity.

Be aware of the limits that are already in place but we ignore
– Natural (day light), Physical (strength/tired), Mental (awareness level), Relational, Spiritual (we can only grow one day at a time)

So…you may remember that I said there were three places in scripture we would go to. Here’s the last one.

“Be Still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10)

If you want to know God…Be Still. Stop. Pause. Listen. Wait. Be quiet.

Finally, Try this prayer…

God, give us the courage to leave some things undone today. 
Give us discernment to walk away from useless conflict. 
Give us strength in stillness. 
May we know that our belovedness isn’t in what we do, or say, or finish, or prove.
Help us be brave enough to rest.
In Jesus name (the one who took time to pray, rest, sleep, and be alone)
Amen.

– – – – – – – – –

small(er) group discussion questions:

“We are a society that doesn’t know when to stop”. Does that ring true for you? Why? What do you have a hard time saying no to?

Why do people fear limits & boundaries?

We look at 3 places of scripture where limits and rest are welcomed. Let’s discuss them.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
– what are you hearing and seeing in this text?
– how can we combine the invitation to rest, with the challenge to confess our tiredness & burdens?

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:1-3)
– what do you hear in this text, about God and about you?
– how do you feel about the 4 words: finished, rested, blessed & holy?
– how realistic is it to follow some kind of sabbath?

How are we doing with: Calendars? Smart Phones? Intentional & Purposeful rest? Saying yes and no to the right things? Being Still (Psalm 46)?

Pray the final prayer together (slowly).

THIS IS US: Jesus

by Jonathan Manafo | Oct 31, 2018 | Sunday Conversations

What is at the centre of you?

What pulls or drives you from the inside?

Counsellors try and get inside our thoughts, our lives, our brokenness, to what’s really there. If you have a wise friend, they may ask you some questions that get to the heart of the matter.

When a problem arises, we try and get to the…middle of it…
When a success story happens, people wanna get to the…middle of it…
If we get to the middle of it, we can either solve the problem or duplicate the success story…

Here’s the question posed another way, if people defined us, you, our family, what would they find in the middle – at the heart – in our gut – in us?

If they got all the way to the middle of us, what would be there? Who would be there?

I recently heard Erwin McManus sharing a story about when he lost everything. It was a business fail, a financial collapse. He found out about it while overseas. Not wanting to inform his wife about this over the phone or email, he waited until he got home. He said, “Honey, I lost everything”. Her response? “I thought I was your everything”.

I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by a few people, some on purpose, others by accident.
Bill Morrow (a friend and mentor) would always tell me that when you lead worship, make sure people see through you and see Jesus instead.
Ron Kydd (a former professor) would say that when you preach, if people say, ‘you did great’ you kind of failed, they should instead be led to say, ‘Jesus is good’.

Hopefully, as followers of Jesus, as a church community, when people dig deep enough to get to the middle of us, they find one very prominent thing – JESUS.

You may recall, in our talk on community, and Paul’s words about the body of Christ, that very important chapter 12 in 1 Corinthians. It starts with some key words. It’s like Paul wanted to set things straight before saying anything about community.

¹ Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

This is your middle. This is your centre. This is your core. You can’t fully get anything else, until you get this. Jesus is Lord.

It’s not just that Paul says it, but it’s what he compares it too. You were somehow influenced by mute idols…small ‘g’ gods…that don’t communicate to you. Instead, be influenced by Jesus…he is Lord…he is God.

These three words are so key to understanding who we are as a community, and who we are as followers of Jesus. They’re also key in how others define and see us.

A few places in scripture lay this out for us:

2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…
Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

In the most simplest of forms, these words are a creed, a beautiful, short and sweet (yet powerful) statement of faith.

This was actually the Earliest of Christian Creeds. Sure, there are others, Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, that are longer and more detailed. However, the early Christ Followers new the power packed into this simple statement – it defined them, and it needs to define us.

This has to be at the core, the middle, the centre of who we are – Jesus is Lord.

JESUS is Lord

He’s a real person, rooted in history. Jesus was born, lived, worked, served, hurt, got sick, died…and of course rose again.

It’s Jesus, God, who became one of us. The word became flesh. The word for flesh here (John 1:14) is sarx, which means frail, human pain, brokenness.

It’s Jesus who is Lord, and not Caesar.
– this meant something in the 1st century
– It means something now
– If Jesus is Lord, that means, politics, money, religion, fame, work, fashion, fitness, status, is not.

Have you heard of the I AM SECOND campaign? It’s all about people recognizing that they don’t have to be the master of their life, they believe that position is best served by Jesus. Basically, that we’re better when we’re second to Jesus. And we are…definitely better when Jesus comes before anything else.

Jesus IS Lord

Paul wrote these lines at least 20 years after Jesus life and death. So he could’ve said, Jesus was Lord, but no, he says, Jesus is Lord. What does that mean for us? Well, Resurrection means that Jesus still IS Lord today. He WAS & IS & will always BE…alive…and Lord. See, “Jesus is Alive” is not just a line we reserve for Easter. Every Sunday is resurrection Sunday. Every day is resurrection day.

Because of this, Jesus IS Lord. Today. In me. In us. For me. For us. In You. For you.

Jesus is LORD

The word ‘lord’ had 3 primary uses in Jesus’ day.
– Sir (respect)
– Leader (one to follow)
– A substitute for the name of God (YHWY)
– All three work, but the middle term is the one we most associate with.

As Lord, Jesus leads, I follow. As Lord, Jesus teaches, I learn. As Lord, Jesus asks, I respond.

You might say, “Wait a second. I never asked for a leader. I don’t want a Lord.”

Perhaps, but whether we believe it or not, we all serve somebody. (said the poet and musician, Bob Dylan) We need to follow something greater than us – to learn, to grow, to become better, to mature.

The real question isn’t if I have a lord or master in my life, the question is, what or who is it? When attached to the wrong lord or master, we get hurt, become unhealthy, unbalanced, broken, disillusioned, mis-led. You’ve seen this before…when money is someone’s lord, when status is someone’s master, when affirmation is someone’s ruler, it never ends well.

Name it. Anything. Fill in the _______. We’ve all put something in that spot that has no business being there.

Here’s why Jesus is your best option:

Colossians 1:15
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
(No one shows what God is like better than Jesus. Jesus is the clearest picture of God we have.)

John 14:6
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

This text causes some to pause. I get it. THE way. THE truth. THE life. How arrogant can Jesus be?

But here’s why this verse makes sense. Jesus isn’t just a path to God, he’s the person of God. So…the path and the person are one. Jesus isn’t simply a road, a path, a highway to get somewhere. He is the somewhere. He’s not the yellow brick road that gets you to the Wizard. He’s the Way and the Wizard. (Hope the Wizard of Oz mention doesn’t throw you off too much)

If Jesus is Lord – if Jesus is God, it makes perfect sense that he is the way to get to know him, the truth to understand him, and the life to live in him.

TAKE HOME…

I guess this is the question we need to land on:

What or who do you want to centre your life around? Money? Stuff? Success? Good times? Affirmation? Power? Cause if any of those things are our lord…our master…our ruler, we’re in big trouble.

 THIS. IS. US. I hope and pray that we always land on Jesus. Because JESUS. IS. US. 

This phrase may sum it up well:

The only way l’ll be at the centre of what Jesus is up to in the world, my neighbourhood, my community, is when I invite Jesus to be at the centre of me, my heart, my life, my world.

– – – – – – – –

small(er) group discussion:

What are some initial thoughts about this week’s conversation?

Let’s look at this simple statement of faith in three ways or from three different perspectives:

JESUS is Lord

Jesus IS Lord

Jesus is LORD

Read these two verses to close things off. How do you feel about them? What do they say about Jesus? What steps have they encouraged you to take or challenge you to take?

Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
John 14:6
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Brett Ullman Interview

by Jonathan Manafo | Oct 23, 2018 | Sunday Conversations

This past week we interviewed Brett Ullman. Because of that we don’t have a regular recap. However, We’ve listed the questions we posed to Brett, with a paraphrase of some of his responses.

Also, for our small group discussion folks, their is a scripture text to read at the bottom, with some questions to think about for your small group this week.

(Brett Ullman Summary)

THIS IS US: COMMUNITY

by Jonathan Manafo | Oct 16, 2018 | Sunday Conversations

Last week we started with saying a few Thank You’s…(It was Canadian Thanksgiving)

Sometimes, when given the opportunity to be grateful, we bring up ‘something’: job, money, car, experience – and that’s fair. However, if their was a poll, I really do think that ‘someone’ not ‘something’, rather, people would top that list for us. Your community of people: friends, family, neighbour, co-worker, fill in the _______.

We know this to be true:
When community is healthy, Life is Good.
When community breaks down, Life is Hard.

– – – – – –

You had to know that as we walked through this series we’d land here eventually:

THIS. IS. US.  We Are Community.
– something we celebrate and are proud of
– something we continually work on

We are only as strong as our sense of community.

Dwayne Casey, the beloved coach of the Toronto Raptors, was fired after what was considered many successful years as head coach. He had every reason to complain about his circumstance and situation and unfortunate turn of events. But instead, he wrote Toronto a letter.

Dear Toronto,
Thank you.
Thank you to basketball fans across this city and the country of Canada who supported the Raptors and welcomed my family with open arms during our seven years here. Thank you to all the fans who cheered us on at the Air Canada Centre while we built this program into a playoff contender, packed Jurassic Park even in the cold and rain, watched the games from home and offered their undying support as we traveled this road to relevancy together.
(here’s where it gets good)
Thank you for teaching our all-American family the Canadian way. That being polite and considerate to one another is always the best way. That diversity is something to be embraced and celebrated. That taking the time to learn about each other’s cultures is the surest way to find common ground and understanding. Thank you for making our children feel safe, valued, and comfortable in their own skin. We cannot express how important it has been to build the foundations of who our children are as human beings in a country that shows through its words, and actions…that all people deserve basic human rights, and a chance to reach their goals through education and hard work.

Dwayne Casey was obviously impacted by a deeper sense of community than he had experienced before arriving to this great city.

There is a word in Scripture that pops up about 20x. It’s the word for fellowship – KOINONIA, which also can translate into community.
– this word depicts what it means to follow Jesus together and not alone.
– You’ll see it in places like Acts 2:42, 1 John 1:7
– We don’t read it in John 17:20-24, but the heart of it comes through as Jesus prays for us to be one.

You’ll find in other scriptures that this idea is referred to when the words one & another are grouped together.

Scripture encourages and instructs us to be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10), honour one another (Romans 12:10), live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8), accept one another (Romans 15:7), serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13), spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), offer hospitality (1 Peter 4:9), and love one another (1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11-12). That is what true biblical koinonia (community) should look like.

It’s been said that Community is at the centre of God’s mission. (David Fitch)

You also may have heard this before…there is nothing like the local church, when the church is working right.

– – – – – –

There is a certain passage of scripture that not only tells us about community, but shows us how it should play out, and gives us perhaps the greatest metaphor for community ever laid out.

1 Corinthians 12.

This is where Paul refers to the church as the Body of Christ. How fitting.

Chapter 12 is found in the larger context of chapters 11-14, a discussion about spiritual gifts, and the even larger context of some conflict that Paul is addressing with the Corinthians.

Lets read it and see where it takes us…

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

We can see the context right away. Paul wants to instruct the initial readers (and us) about spiritual gifts. He wants us to be informed verses uninformed. He wants us to be influenced by Jesus, rather than by useless (mute) idols. So when he starts us off with the phrase, Jesus is Lord, Paul wants us to truly see how important that confession is – and that we can only come to that with the help of the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

We can see that spiritual gifts is still a focus, but Paul starts to narrow in on another theme: There are different kinds of gifts, service, work, skills, but they all come from the SAME Spirit.

He gives us some examples of what people offer the larger community, and emphasizes that it’s the same Spirit who distributes and determines these gifts.

What do we learn about community here?
– we all make a contribution
– we all play a part
– each of us has a gift to offer

We might agree that much of the breakdown in community, wherever that is, starts when people see themselves as islands, and not as part of something larger. When people think that their contribution to society is greater than their neighbours, things go south. When we think that we, or our skill, or our intellect is better than the next guy or girl, the sense of community is lost.

This leads us to what comes next…

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

This sections seems to be written for those who thought their part was more important.

I’m sure we don’t see that happen anymore these days? People never think what they do or what they offer is more important than the next person? (enter sarcastic smirk) But if we’re honest, it’s in our weakest moments that we experience this or reflect this kind of thinking in our own lives.

The inclusion of both Jew & Greek, slave & free in this text are very important. Paul writes about this in other letters (he includes rich & poor, male & female, strong & weak), and the point is always the same: We may be different, but because of God’s spirit in us, we are one.

Paul pushes this point/theme as he continues…

¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

My favourite kind of Jazz is BIG BAND. Duets and Trios are fine, but BIG BAND is where it’s at. New style or Old grove? It doesn’t matter. An 18 piece band playing their guts out, all doing something different, all playing the same song – It’s both magical and powerful.

If we’re not careful, we can start to look down on other parts of our body. Wish that one part looked different, wished that another part performed differently. Wishing that you played their part instead.
We Cannot Make This Mistake. We all make this music sound amazing – together.

A word about suffering…

The first time my dad was sick, which lasted for many years, culminated in him having to remove his leg. My Dad passed away at 66 from Cancer, but for years before that he dealt with a terrible pain in his left foot. After almost ten years of dealing with it, the doctors decided to remove part of his leg. In the weeks and months leading up to this operation, he was so ill – tired, weak, always thirsty. His body was fighting the pain in his foot.
What happened after the operation was truly amazing. My dad was back. Colour, strength, energy, everything. He didn’t have a leg, but he didn’t have pain. Why? Because his body didn’t have to compensate for what was taking place in his left foot.

The hurting parts of our body affect us as much as the good parts do. You suffer, I suffer. That’s how it works. Think of any back pain you’ve had, or a stubbed toe, or a tooth ache. Your whole body suffers because one part of your body is in pain. It’s the same with the church. We feel the pain of others.

Now it works the other way too. When you succeed, I’m happy. When you do well, I cheer you on. That’s how it should be.

This is community. Every single part plays its role. We win together and lose together. It’s beautiful and real and authentic.

This is why Paul gets us to some of these final words in verse 27.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

THIS IS US.

WE ARE THE BODY
WE ARE COMMUNITY
WE ARE FAMILY
WE ALL CONTRIBUTE to the WHOLE

We know it to be true in a small group. We know it to be true in our larger community. And we know this to be true in the church world wide.

We all have an important part to play. We all have something to contribute. We all make a difference. And when one part is missing, the others feel it. And I bet (and know) that the missing part feels it too.

– – – – – –

So what do we do with this information now? In Paul’s words, we are now informed.

• Figure out what part you play
• Play your part well to the best of your ability
• Contribute to the whole (gifts, resources, passion)
• Appreciate what others bring to the table
• Let’s keep making the table longer & wider (as our local body grows) and the fences lower & thinner
• Understand & appreciate other Christian expressions and traditions
• Don’t try and go solo. We were meant to follow Jesus together.

The church has it’s imperfections. That is for sure. If you find one that doesn’t, trust me, when you show up it will be imperfect. Here’s the deal: there’s no other place or way to be a Christian, just like there’s no way for a hand or a foot to be what they are unless they’re connected to the body.

THIS IS US.
WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST.
WE ARE COMMUNITY.

– – – – – –

small group discussion:

When we talk about community, what are your initial thoughts or questions? Why is this both a beautiful topic and a tough topic?

“Community is at the centre of God’s mission”. How so? Why?

Anything you’d like to talk about in regards to Paul’s image or metaphor about the church in 1 Corinthians 12?
– Jesus is Lord
– Spiritual Gifts
– We are like a body. Many Parts. One Spirit.
– Suffer together? Celebrate together?

You are the Body of Christ. Wow? or Huh? or Both?

How can we be better at being the body of Jesus? In the church? In the world?

Overflowing with Thankfulness?

by Jonathan Manafo | Oct 9, 2018 | Sunday Conversations

Can we say ‘thank you’ for days on a calendar? By that I mean, holi-days on the calendar?

They seem to get us back to centre. They remind us of what’s important. They force us to rest?

Holidays have a purpose…to re-centre us…

• Labour Day (grateful for the job you have)
• Christmas (reminded that there is a bigger story to find yourself in)
• New Years (a finish and a start line)
• Family Day (self explanatory)
• Thanksgiving (also self explanatory)

If someone were to ask…what defines you? What describes your faith…what’s the main characteristic of your life in Christ?

I hope that the word THANKFUL is fighting for a top spot on your list.

In Philippians 4:11 we read some very important words. If you’re a Christ follower or not, these words can change your life. Paul says, “I’ve learned to be content in whatever circumstance”. Not easy words to say or to live. Why? Because it’s easier to focus on the downside of life’s circumstances.

Paul’s letter to the Colossians includes 3 places where the recipients and us are encouraged, inspired, challenged, instructed, reminded…to be THANKFUL.

For a small letter, he mentions it quite a bit. If you read other parts of Paul’s NT writing, you will notice that he’s often saying thank you to others, thank you Jesus, and simply exhibits a grateful heart and attitude. It’s almost like he believes deeply that if the world has to peg one characteristic on us, let it be that those who follow Jesus are known by how grateful they are in whatever circumstance they find themselves.

Is it hard? Yup.
Does it require some kind of godly perspective? Yes.
Is there any other way to be a Christian? Not really.

With that in mind, let’s look at Colossians 2:6-7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (NIV)

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (NLT)

As you can see, there’s more in the text than just how and why to be grateful.

Most times, in the scriptures, when we arrive at the word thankfulness, there was a lead up, a bit of context. These verses in Colossians are consistent with that.

Paul’s main idea? Receive Christ – Live in Christ. This is the gist of what Paul is trying to get across. He wants us to know that we don’t just receive Jesus, we live in Jesus. And living in Jesus can only happen when we first receive him.

It comes down to this question for Paul: What does it look like to conduct a life that has been impacted by Jesus?

He uses four words or participles to explain this: ROOTED, BUILT UP, STRENGTHENED, OVERFLOWING.

ROOTED & BUILT UP

These first two go together. You probably can get the analogy. In planting a tree or building a house, two things have to happen: go low (planting or foundation), then grow up or build up.

Rooted is a one time experience. It’s the planting of a seed, or a laying of a foundation. It happens at the beginning. Paul says this is essential for you to live in Christ. You have to be rooted in him – planted deep in the soil of Jesus.

Building is the continuation of what has been started. So don’t just plant a seed, don’t just lay a foundation…build on that foundation. Water and nurture that seed. See to it that the seed grows, that the house gets build up.

STRENGTHENED

This Paul’s word for our spiritual formation journey.

Are we strengthening our spiritual muscles?
Are we maturing in our understanding of Jesus?
Are we becoming more acquainted with the Holy Spirit?
Are we learning, growing, becoming, forming, loving, caring, serving, doing, impacting…?

OVERFLOWING (with Thankfulness)

And finally we reach the end of what Paul wants to get across.

If you’re rooted in Jesus, and you’re being built up in the ways of the kingdom, and if your faith is being strengthened and you’re growing stronger because of it, the natural progression is this: Your life will over flow with Thanksgiving. Your life will abound in gratitude. No matter what you’re going through, you will find a way, you will find a reason – to be thankful.

People will know this one thing about you – you are grateful for breath, for life, for food, for friends, for work, for family, for wins, for losses, for coffee, for water… (you get the idea?)

May we be known for our gratefulness – in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. This surprises our world, this shocks our neighbours, this stuns our co-workers. Why? Because it’s easier to complain, to worry, to be pessimistic…those seem to be the go to reaction.

Colossians 2 says…there is another way…if you’ve received Jesus…and you live in Jesus…may your life OVERFLOW with THANKFULNESS.

– – – – – – – –

For some of you going through a tough time, or even going through hell, you’re thinking that this is the last thing you need to hear. You can’t be thankful for anything right now. Please know that in your situation, there is so much grace. God knows what you’re going through and aches with you. He will be by your side until you can muster up the words to be grateful for something. But also know that sometimes, saying thank you is huge step of faith. If so, may you take that step of faith today.

Try and pray this prayer everyday this week.

Thank you Jesus…
For inviting me to receive you…
For the privilege to live my life in you…
In you I live, move and have my being…

Jesus, may I be rooted in you…
Jesus, may I continue to be built up in you…
May you strengthen me by the power of your Spirit to become the person you’ve called me to be…

And Jesus, may all this cause an overflow of thankfulness…may I be grateful, to you, for you, with others, on good days, on bad days, when I win and when I lose…

May your light, Jesus, shine through my posture of gratitude…everyday…in every way…to everyone.

AMEN

– – – – – – – –

small(er) group discussion:

Why would speaking about thankfulness be a tough sell for some people?

Do you think we should avoid the topic or simply understand that as important as it is, we must give others lots of grace and patience?

If you were to share, what would you say thank you for today?

Let’s read Colossians 2:6-7 together. What sticks out for you? What inspires, challenges, encourages or even bugs you about these words?

Take a few minutes to break down each important word/phrase:
ROOTED…BUILT UP…STRENGTHENED…OVERFLOWING with THANKFULNESS

I think Paul’s main question is: What does it look like to conduct a life that has been impacted by Jesus? If so, do you think Thankfulness needs to get to the top of the list of how people describe you or other followers of Jesus?