COMMUNITY AND MUTUAL RESPECT

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.”  (1 Corinthians 13:4-6 NRSV)

It is essential to remember that our differences do not make us superior or inferior to one another – in churches, in communities, in politics. As members of the human family, we must strive to understand the other, reducing our tendencies to be arrogant or rude. Each of us has unique gifts to offer and roles to play, and it is through recognizing and valuing these differences that we can foster a sense of community and mutual respect.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12:21, "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" This powerful metaphor illustrates the importance of interdependence and collaboration. In politics, as in life, we all need each other to create a harmonious and functioning society.

Arrogance and rudeness often stem from a failure to acknowledge our interconnectedness. When we appreciate the diversity of our gifts and functions, we are drawn into a deeper understanding of our common humanity. Let us strive to approach political discourse with humility and respect, recognizing that every voice and perspective has something to offer. By doing so, we can build a more compassionate world. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

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SPIRITUALLY RENEWED CHURCHES

“Christ is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.”  (Colossians 1:18-20 NKJV)

God has always desired to work through His people, but they have not always recognized His initiative in their lives or His activity around them. But for those churches who repent -- those who take time to hear the Spirit; to believe what He tells them; to adjust their plans, structures, and programs to Him, and then to follow the Lord regardless of how impossible it may seem -- these are the churches that will be spiritually renewed and that will experience God's mighty deeds through them to bring a lost world to Himself in a great spiritual awakening. 

-- Dr. Henry Blackaby in “What the Spirit Is Saying to the Churches”

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VITAL CONGREGATIONS

"Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalm 29:2 NKJV)

Show me a vital congregation and I will point to a church that gives faithful attention to its worship. And there is no litmus test for the degree of liturgy. Many churches that experience vitality, faithfulness, and growth are churches that have a high degree of liturgy, and others have hardly any fixed liturgy at all. (And I don’t mean by “growth” just numbers: I often make a distinction to my congregation between “growth” and “swelling.” One is a sigh of health, and one is a clear sign of illness.) Perhaps there are tests of the degree of congregational participation; the extent to which the Bible is used as source book, study book, and a book of enrichment; and the uses of music are, in fact, praise to God rather than a rehearsal for a concert hall performance. 

-- Zan W. Holmes, Jr. in “Encountering Jesus”

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ON CHURCHES BEING OPEN TO GOD’S PRESENCE

Jesus said to His disciples, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  (Matthew 18:20 NIV)

What I have consistently noticed in almost all thriving congregations is that what makes the difference is the extent to which the community is open to God at its core. Many churches aren’t simply open to God. They let the will, ego, and purpose of the dominant voices in the congregation, whether the pastor’s or that of a few strong members, drive the agenda. Instead of seeking God’s call and purpose, they argue over who is right and wrong. Declining churches tend not to be open to God’s presence. They worship, meet, and engage in ministry and mission, but their sense is that God is in heaven, we are on earth, and all that matters is doing good deeds so that we can get into heaven. The congregants have no sense that Christ is in their midst, and that this presence of Christ can bless them and make them a church of love. So they continue to engage in the practices of the church, but they don’t expect an encounter with Christ. Finally, these churches have no awareness that God’s grace and power can work in their midst. They have no awareness of the Holy Spirit. They are unaware that when we become open to God, God’s Spirit flows through the church to make miracles happen. 

-- N. Graham Standish in “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence and Power”

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