We are working toward becoming one church community united by common learning goals, even as we are scattered commuting people.
This week we’re studying a passage from Ephesians that includes this line: “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”
We want to highlight the process involved. The aim is to become more and more like Jesus, not just in outward appearance, but completely, the “full stature”. This is clearly not instant, but a maturing process, since no one on this earth has ever been completely like Jesus.
I have shared a few stories from when I studied engineering, and the importance of learning problem solving and analysis. That principle can be applied to any scenario, even the unprecedented and complex ones.
Discipleship is about theological problem solving in similarly complex and unexpected situations. Paul was involved in discipleship to help his church members avoid being thrown around by every idea, doctrine like a small boat in wind and waves.
Contrast a road and ocean. Some want faith to be a roadway, with clear boundaries, signs, maps and directions to follow. But the problem is that real life is much more like an ocean, where you can’t give a plan for every scenario , but follow a compass heading with a specific end in mind, but the actual journey will be less strictly defined. This is the pursuit of discipleship, to set a compass heading of what the bible calls “Christlikeness” – becoming like Jesus Christ. We will get there by navigating all sorts of wind and wave action, and keeping focused on the end goal.
This is a series on church community, becoming like family. Discipleship is a family effort, done in a group. I remember engineering projects that would have been impossible for me to do it alone – I knew one aspect of the project, while others knew theirs, and together we accomplished something greater than any one of us could do on our own.
In the same way, we aren’t meant to grow as a disciple alone. We need challenge, encouragement, and complementary gifts like the five we saw yesterday.
Question: Are you more comfortable in a spiritual ocean or roadway? What part of life feels like an ocean today?
Coffee Hours this Week:
Have questions about the challenges, do you want to meet others exploring the same content, or connect with Ryan?
Join us for our coffee shop drop-in tonight, Wednesay, October 30th from 7:30pm-9:00pm at the Starbucks in the Ajax Chapters. Look for Ryan Sim in the drink line, or a Redeem the Commute postcard on a table.
If you know in advance that you’re coming, please RSVP here
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This week we’ve studied four practices of the first church community. Should we copy them?
Some try – indeed sell everything, gather daily, etc. just like in this book. But most don’t.
Most Christians agree this sets a pattern and principles, and those principles are what is meant to be emulated, not the exact circumstances.
Churches in our world today will take on these practices in various ways.
The Apostles’ Teaching and Fellowship
Some churches have many readings from the Bible, a short sermon. Some have one short reading, and a very long sermon about it. Some focus on studying the bible in groups at home, others in groups at church, others in groups on GO Trains like us. What matters is continuity with the apostles’ teaching.
Breaking of the Bread
Some do this weekly, others less frequent. Some have one common cup, or even a precious chalice, while others have individual portions in smlall cups. Some consider it a symbol and reminder, others see it as a precious moment of heaven touching earth when God’s actual presence is made tangible.
Prayers and Worship
Some churches focus on common prayer – many people praying the same things at once. Others focus on individual prayer, everyone praying using their own words and thoughts.
Common Life
Some churches try to live this out verbatim, but not many. I know some people building a co-living building, where many families will live in their own spaces, but share eating and cooking areas, playrooms, etc. They are trying as much as possible to share life in this way. But others see this as a practice of generosity – retaining ownership, but sharing as others have need.
There is lots of variation within each practice. What matters most is that the practice is preparing them for their mission…living and telling the good news of Jesus in the world.
These practices are essential to being a church, a community of people following Jesus. You might have been surprised, many of the most visible elements of modern church life are missing!
But for any church, these are the principles they need to continually recover and refocus. Our church is going the opposite way – starting with these practices, preparing us for our mission in the first place, and then our challenge comes later in maintaining this focus.
Challenge: With whom can you gather to start adopting these practices? As a small group, and as a large group. Which of these four would you find hardest, and easiest?
