No, I haven’t been
listening to Bob Dylan’s great song, but I am thinking about the Lazarus story
in John 13. We don’t know what disease Lazarus had, but we know it was
serious: he ended up dead.
Jesus showed up, wept, and then ordered the stone to be rolled away. Lazarus came out of the tomb, blinking his eyes (I imagine), to begin his 2nd act.
Resurrection is mysterious. It is messy. Martha, ever the practical one, tells Jesus it has been four days since her brother died and “there is a bad odor.” To get to new life sometimes you have hold your nose, face what is dead, trust God, and risk a miracle. This is true in our faith life with God. This can be true in a business or our work life. This can be true in a marriage. And this can be true in the church. You have to face the tomb, hang onto God, and roll the stone away so a new chapter can begin.
Bishop Coyner sends out a weekly email and last week he talked about “resurrection churches.” Some churches go into decline. They lose hope, forget their mission, begin to be preoccupied with internal/institutional stuff, and stop reaching out with God’s love. Many never pull out of the downward spiral, but some do!
Mike sees three common characteristics of resurrection churches.
First, they give themselves away to others in ministry. They move outside their four walls and their comfort zone to reach, get to know, and serve others in Christ’s name.
Second, resurrection churches move towards new life because of the leadership of one or two key lay persons. A few laity catch a vision for a new way of doing church, their hearts catch on fire with faith and a vision, and they bring others along.
Third, there is always a major focus on prayer. One congregation in the Upper Midwest said, “We had to become a praying church before we became a growing church.”
Many people were stunned this week to read the results of a survey that showed more and more people say they have no religious affiliation. A new generation is growing up as strangers to faith. Some of you have come to me and asked, “Have you seen the survey? What are we going to do about reaching a new generation?”
No matter how big the stone, with God, there is always the possibility of resurrection. What would it look like -in your life- if God were to roll the stone away so new life could emerge?
And when it comes to our life at First/The Open Door, are we giving ourselves away for others….more concerned about the ones God is calling us to know, reach, love and serve than our own needs?
Are you one of those people God works through to give a congregation a new vision…a new beginning?
Is prayer a part of our life? Are we carrying on a conversation with God so God can shape us into the movement, the people, the community God calls us to be?
In Christ and for Christ,
Mark
Jesus showed up, wept, and then ordered the stone to be rolled away. Lazarus came out of the tomb, blinking his eyes (I imagine), to begin his 2nd act.
Resurrection is mysterious. It is messy. Martha, ever the practical one, tells Jesus it has been four days since her brother died and “there is a bad odor.” To get to new life sometimes you have hold your nose, face what is dead, trust God, and risk a miracle. This is true in our faith life with God. This can be true in a business or our work life. This can be true in a marriage. And this can be true in the church. You have to face the tomb, hang onto God, and roll the stone away so a new chapter can begin.
Bishop Coyner sends out a weekly email and last week he talked about “resurrection churches.” Some churches go into decline. They lose hope, forget their mission, begin to be preoccupied with internal/institutional stuff, and stop reaching out with God’s love. Many never pull out of the downward spiral, but some do!
Mike sees three common characteristics of resurrection churches.
First, they give themselves away to others in ministry. They move outside their four walls and their comfort zone to reach, get to know, and serve others in Christ’s name.
Second, resurrection churches move towards new life because of the leadership of one or two key lay persons. A few laity catch a vision for a new way of doing church, their hearts catch on fire with faith and a vision, and they bring others along.
Third, there is always a major focus on prayer. One congregation in the Upper Midwest said, “We had to become a praying church before we became a growing church.”
Many people were stunned this week to read the results of a survey that showed more and more people say they have no religious affiliation. A new generation is growing up as strangers to faith. Some of you have come to me and asked, “Have you seen the survey? What are we going to do about reaching a new generation?”
No matter how big the stone, with God, there is always the possibility of resurrection. What would it look like -in your life- if God were to roll the stone away so new life could emerge?
And when it comes to our life at First/The Open Door, are we giving ourselves away for others….more concerned about the ones God is calling us to know, reach, love and serve than our own needs?
Are you one of those people God works through to give a congregation a new vision…a new beginning?
Is prayer a part of our life? Are we carrying on a conversation with God so God can shape us into the movement, the people, the community God calls us to be?
In Christ and for Christ,
Mark
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