Time and availability allows us to get acquainted with those near us.  You may be discouraged, thinking I’m talking about adding things to your already busy schedule.  Sometimes that’s necessary, but usually it’s just about making intentional choices to Love God, Love Neighbour in the midst of daily life.

Think about your downtime – how can downtime connect me with neighbours?

First, be interruptible.  I used to have a retired neighbour who was often outside, and always up for a chat.  His availability meant I could ask him for a ladder, to get the mail while we were away, etc.  My availability to stop and chat meant he could ask me questions about the theology of the church he grew up attending.

You can also make other choices.  Stick around on weekends instead of going away.  Play in the front yard instead of the back.  Putter around your garden, walk the neighbourhood, and read on your porch.

Ask questions, talk about the weather, laugh about something that happened.   Ask for referrals – who did your driveway/kitchen/landscaping?  Ask about the neighbourhood – how’s X doing?  Share something – let someone park in your driveway for a party, or share newspapers.

As you do, get to know their name, and then a bit of their story.

Challenge: Look at your calendar and see how you spend your time over the last two weeks.  Reflect on how this compares with your priorities.  How can you spend more time with your neighbours, to get acquainted?

mapthumbChallenge #2: Try to complete the second part of grid: one fact you know about them.   Not sure what we mean?  Click here: https://www.redeemthecommute.com/2013/09/18/strangerstoneighbours or look under Extras.

Don’t forget our outdoor movie night is this Friday night!  Click here for details.

Ryan Sim - July 18, 2013

Thursday - Act On It - Originality

There is some teaching, especially when it's unoriginal and shallow, that you can take under advisement. You can simply say, "That’s interesting" and then move on with your life. We read stuff like this all the time. Magazine articles. Newspaper. Blogs. Facebook posts. Some people are very skilled at rehashing other people’s research in entertaining and interesting ways. I often read things that are of little value to me. They're just interesting, and not going to change my life. I hope the Sermon on the Mount we've been studying is not that way for you. We saw last week – hearing and living these words is like building upon a stone foundation for life. Hearing and ignoring these words is like building on a sand foundation that washes away. How you hear the Sermon on the Mount is like the difference between a wedding announcement and invitation. With a wedding announcement in the newspaper or on Facebook, you say, "Oh, look, they’re getting married, how nice". An invitation is quite different, since it has your name on it. It’s for you. We want you to come. The Kingdom of heaven is often described as a party, and it would be a party with the most original, profound teacher ever at its centre. The very source of truth, wisdom is the attraction. His way of life would now be the only reality. The kingdom he’s been describing, would be there in living colour. He’s issued that invitation to you. Come to my kingdom, my celebration, my party. And this is not just a future reality, somewhere else. It’s something we are called to start practicing now, really living it out, to be ready for the full production . Life on earth is meant to be a practice party, and you’re invited. We're establishing a new church, or Christian community, in Ajax – and it will be built on the model of a party with Jesus at the center. It will be like nothing you've ever experienced before. We're planning our first party for this fall. Challenge: We're running a poll right now, that you can find in our app or here on our web site: http://bit.ly/15B2yry Tell us what kind of party you could RSVP to!

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