One of the things I have really come to appreciate since our series on Flesh a few years ago is the weekly sharing in Communion during Advent. What a gift it is to be invited to share a meal together with the Incarnate Word of God—the Word that became flesh and made his dwelling among us. I also consider it a treasured privilege to gather around the table with all of you as we share in the Bread of Life.
However, like every meal shared with friends and family, after receiving the nourishment and being enriched by the conversation, eventually it’s time to get up from the table and continue pursuing the purpose for which we were created. And yes, getting up from the table may include doing the dishes and taking a quick nap, but then it’s time to resume our part in Christ’s kingdom mission.
And so it is with ARC, over the past year we have focused on “getting well” (John 5:1-14). We spent several weeks considering how we could become more intentional about living with integrity and authenticity. We spent over three months focusing on the characteristics of strong marriages and strong families followed by some powerful wisdom on growing our emotional health—remember you can’t be emotionally unhealthy and love well at the same time. And now after being encouraged once more by the good news that a Savior has been born and that Jesus will soon come again, it’s time to GO and complete those good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Therefore, Lord willing, beginning on January 8 until Easter, we will be challenged from the Word of God to become more intentional about living on mission. To be missional is simply to join God in God’s mission to reconcile the world to himself and restore it to its original design.
In addition to reflecting on God’s plan of redemption and the lifestyle of mission that Jesus modeled, you will have access to a resource entitled, The Tangible Kingdom Primer. This primer gives practical insights and steps on how to live on mission. Although divided into 8 chapters, we will take 16 weeks to work through it, which will give us extra time to complete the suggested mission. The primer will be available beginning next Sunday, January 1 in the Narthex.
And then for those disciples who are really serious about learning what it looks like to live on mission, I would encourage you to sign up for a copy of Hugh Halter’s book, The Tangible Kingdom. In his book, Hugh shares how the church in American does pretty well with communing with God and with each other inside of the church, but not so good at connecting with lost people.
The Christmas story presents us with two choices, either we can be like Herod and look for a way to eliminate the threat that Jesus presents to our personal kingdoms, or we can be like the shepherds who “spread the word concerning what they had discovered about Jesus.”
My prayer in 2017 is that the Spirit of God will stir a greater passion in us for declaring the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. As Peter reminds, “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted” (I Peter 1:9-10 The Message)
Wishing you a blessed Christmas and abundant New Year,
Mike Altena