watershed: a community church

The Bible tells us the story of God...a god who wants to be with people and invites them to join in his work. As followers of Christ, we are seeking to understand this story and find our place in it.

While the Old Testament (OT) of the Bible often gets a bad rap, I'm convinced that the God of the OT is the same God we can know today, and that the people we read about in the OT face the same kinds of struggles and joys that we face today. The story of God and people in the OT has much to teach us about the way we live with God today.

Throughout the OT, and even in much of the New Testament, the story of the Exodus is the central story that provides meaning and identity for God's people. While they were slaves in Egypt, God heard the cry of his people and sent Moses to lead the people to freedom (Exodus 3:7-10). God restores their identity as his chosen nation (Exodus 19:3-6) and gives them a kingdom through which they are to maintain justice and righteousness (1 Kings 10:9). However, the people turn their hearts to other gods, and are exiled to a foreign land.

From this backdrop, Jesus enters the scene. God has heard the cry of his exiled people once again and has sent a new Moses...the ultimate deliverer. He has come to lead us to a new kingdom and to find our identity and mission in him. In Christ, we are lead out from the slavery of sin (and loneliness, perfection, control, greed, anger)...and into the freedom of forgiveness and eternal life.

This is the message of Easter. In the resurrection Christ breaks the bonds of sin and death to lead us out to freedom.

As we journey toward our Easter celebration this year, I invite you to consider where Christ is leading you out from, and where he is leading you toward. We'll spend time during each of our gatherings between now and Easter reflecting on how Christ saves us by leading us out...

 

This week we're exploring the question, "Who are we as followers of Jesus?"

• What does it mean to be members of his kingdom?
• How does God see us in Christ?
• How does that affect how we see ourselves?
• How does that affect how we see others?

What do we learn from the Scriptures about these questions? Some things to consider might include who we are in Christ and the "one anothers" of the New Testament...how are we to live with "one another"?

 

For a couple of weeks now we've been wrestling with some big questions - about God, about our world. As a follower of Jesus I am convinced that what I believe about what God is like and how this world works play a crucial role in how I live my life and understand my faith. God is doing something in our world, and he invites you and me to discover our place in the story. But it seems that there are a lot of different ideas floating around out there about what the means.

So this week we're going to wrestle with those ideas...and explore what the Bible has to say about them. A few topics to consider: God, Jesus, salvation, sin, judgment, heaven, hell, who's in, who's out, good news for who?, the gospel, following Jesus, being born again.

 

It's been great to have so many of people coming with thoughts on these topics, and searching the scriptures for direction. I look forward to hearing what you've discovered this week. If you'd like to help us get the conversation going ahead of time, please offer your comments below.

 

A couple of thoughts for Christmas...

The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it.
-Frederick Buechner "Listening to Your Life," Christianity Today, Vol. 37, no. 15

 

Life is a constant Advent season: we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill. Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience.

The world is not as just, not as loving, not as whole as we know it can and should be. But the coming of Christ and his presence among us-as one of us-give us reason to live in hope: that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices, that we are never alone or abandoned.

May this Advent season be a time for bringing hope, transformation and fulfillment into the Advent of our lives.

-Life Is an Advent Season, Connections, 11-28-93

May you have eyes to see your Savior and respond to his gift of love during this Christmas. I'm thankful for all of you who are part of this journey with us.

 

Thanks to my friends the Reynolds for sharing these quotes with me.

"The angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" -Luke 2:10

Who would have thought that the Glory of God would be delivered into poverty and dirt?! The Son of God belonged in a palace, on a throne - certainly anywhere but a stable. Jesus entered this world vulnerable and with no material glory. The blue-collared shepherds were the first to see respond to t the good news of Jesus' birth.

Throughout Jesus' life, he is constantly challenging the powerful and indentifying with the weak and poor. The political and religious leaders were consistently angered by Jesus' words and actions, but it was always good news for the poor - the broken, the discouraged, the sick and homeless. His message was always full of hope and healing for those in need.

How are we poor? If not financially, where are we most aware of our need? Are we poor in spirit - recognizing our need for God's love and grace and humbled by our unworthiness of God's good gifts to us? The comfortable and successful have little need for a Savior. How might we submit ourselves to this love, realizing that it is more powerful than our personal kingdoms, our wish lists, our careers and families? How might we submit to this love that can alone bring light and life to someone else? Jesus is building a Kingdom, and love is a key the city.

The coming of Christ remains good news, an act of love. He is still the wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Where have you witnessed the good news of Jesus in your life?

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 5:3

 

Portions adapted from "Peace is Here" by Jars of Clay.