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 - November 14, 2013

Thursday - Act On It - God in Worship

So why do Christians gather to worship week in and week out? The answer is that there are at least three very good reasons: to acknowledge God’s presence and worth, to remember that we are not alone but part of a community that is growing and learning, and to offer a visible witness to ourselves and others. But when we gather to worship for these reasons, what do we do? We celebrate! The keynote of worship is celebration. At times in its long and winding history the church has lost its sight of this. But that is what Sunday mornings are all about—celebrating who we know God is (wow—he is our Father) --celebrating what Jesus has done for us (wow—set us free from the consequences of our sin)---celebrating that can live in relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit (wow---we are not alone). God is a God who throws parties. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Jesus told adults to keep their eyes on the children if they wanted to know what God is like. Left on their own, adults develop strange ideas of what worship should be. …in the purely adult world, God frequently comes across as a cranky old grandfather..but children seem to know instinctively that God likes celebration. Christians are people who are called to live in community, and we are a community of learners. We need to realize how impossible it is to be a Christian on our own, not to mention half the fun. As Redeemer Church comes together, we’ll have three approaches to worship, in order: Personal: We encourage you to engage in prayer, particularly on Fridays. We also hope you’ll have personal moments of worship to thank God for what happens in your life day to day. Small Groups: As you share our challenges with friends, we hope your Friday prayers will no longer be something quiet and personal but something you share with the team. Share the moments when God was at work in your life, and pray about them! Celebration Events: Up to now, our celebration events have been just about fun, but in a few months we’ll start to host events with worship component. We want to hear from you what will help you worship God as part of a larger community. Challenge: Complete our online survey about worship here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8TS7K93 Reminder: Earlier in this series, we saw the importance of reading the Bible together in sync, so our new daily bible readings start today in our mobile app and web site.

From Series: Becoming Like Family | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

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