A Bighearted Weekend

Spent a meaningful weekend with evangelist, Chris Duffett. I have come to greatly respect this man and his careful thinking and generous spirit. He encourages Christians to find courage in reaching out to others, in ways that gives them confidence in communicating Jesus and that are simple and effective.

It really hit me that we live in a society where people are, generally, shy and a bit scared of other folk. This is true for all categories of people, Christian or not. But people are lovely and precious. Chris' method of helping Christians to cross over that fear barrier, in order to communicate and express the love of God for people, is inspiring.

It leaves me with much to ponder and also implement. Expressing the Good News to others, that they might become disciples: it can never stop at 'theory level'. It is something to act upon for every one of us. 

Ethics as Worship

We have to see worship as being more than the act of praise, in song and in dance.

Worship needs to be understood as our participation in the Mission of God; our honouring God in expressing the practices that arise from communion with Him. We see this call to this active participation in the character of God in Scripture. It is at the heart of the Law (Deuteronomy 11.22), the Prophets (Isaiah 58) and the  Writings (Psalm 146). It is in the practice of expressing Transforming Presence, Embodied Instruction and Constructive Community through pursuing personal Integrity of Being, Doing and Proclaiming the Character and Mission of God.

To understand the essence of worship being the way we walk in our lives, we need to turn both to the teachings of Jesus and also the Mosaic Law: where the location of worship and the regulations guiding us are expressly laid out for the practices of daily living.

In the life and teachings of Jesus; his undertaking of healing and acts of ministry on the Sabbath, as well as eating the grains in the field, we see the outworking of worship and Sabbatical rest in His ongoing communion with God and the ministry that issues out of that. Indeed, we see Jesus reorientate an understanding of Temple, and worship 'at the place of God's choosing', in terms of His teaching to the disciples that reorientates them to see His body as the temple that God will raise on the third day. Participation in His body, in His life, becomes the central act of worship. An understanding of self, redefined by the Transforming Presence, Embodied Instruction and Constructive Community that is in Jesus Christ Himself.

The Knowable God

It is occasionally heard that God is, ultimately, unknowable. I disagree. I hear in the Gospel and see in the Scripture quite a different story.

There, we meet the declaration that God is knowable when we recognise Him in the life, ministry and victory of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the εικον of God. Looking at Jesus is to look at God. Listening to Jesus is listening to God.

Isn't God Trinity? Yes. But the reason our forefathers developed a doctrine of Trinity was because they recognised and confessed the Divinity of Jesus. Best to get the order the right way round, eh?

So, knowing God is knowing Jesus. Now the next question: 'how well do you and I know Jesus; and what do we need to do in order to get to know Him better?' Now, that's something to work on.