Gathered and Scattered

Having enjoyed being a part of another very successful Melbourne Cup event yesterday has given me cause to reflect even more upon our future. We ‘do’ lots of things but I believe that it is in our BEING that fruit begins to grow. I am not saying that we are doing too much – though we probably are – but rather that perhaps we are not being enough.

I believe that our continued growth in this region is much more about attitude than it is about programs. It is less about what we do and much more about who we are (and whose we are!). Last Sunday evening’s WikiChurch was one of our more meaningful gatherings as we took time to reflect on a couple of DVD clips and then had the opportunity to take time to process our thoughts and feelings. Feedback at the time and afterwards has been extremely positive and affirming of our time together and several people were deeply touched. The time and space provided had little to do with doing and everything to do with being.

I don’t do computer games of any description apart from the occasional game of Solitaire. Yeah, boring, I know! I do recall some Pac-Man type critter that used to dash around gobbling up every darned thing that was in sight. Is he still around?? I think that church can be a little bit like Pac-Man. We are in danger of simply producing consumers who madly gobble up the latest religious experience and then dash off to the next feast.

Jesus doesn’t actually get near these kinds of people. The desire is for a spiritual fix that may involve some short term community networking but never turns into true community. We skip those bits of the Bible where Jesus talks about taking up the cross and following him and instead buy a WWJD (What would Jesus do?) bracelet and call it evangelism!

There has to be more to being followers of Jesus than worship on Sunday and yet the clue to this following is undoubtedly found in our worship time together. I have said it before; but will keep repeating it, you cannot fully get what we are on about during the week until you connect with what we do on Sunday and vice versa.

The gathering for worship is a brave thing. Prioritising worship in our family’s life is the best gift that we can give. It opens us up to mixing with others, some of whom we will disagree with and some of whom we may not even like! Hopefully our gathering exposes us to new thinking and invites us on a journey and as we journey we build trust with people and find a place where we can be vulnerable and transparent with our fellow travellers.

When God’s people gather in the Spirit of Jesus transformation will inevitably take place. You can’t hang around a people of grace and hope without being changed! It’s a sure thing.

The church consists of a people who gather and scatter. The value of our gathering will be seen in our scattering. We gather to worship, love and honour God through Christ and in doing so find restoration, renewal and refreshment. When we scatter that which we received is made available to others.

Scattering without gathering risks our being pointless and powerless, while gathering without scattering makes us foolish and fruitless.

Cheers - John