Church is best defined in action

I am passionate about seeing people grow in their faith, to the point where that faith pours out into every area of their life, creating epic ripples that echo into eternity.  Much of what has formed my passion is personal experience, God's word and the teachings of John Wesley among others.

I particularly hold to Wesley's biblical interpretations and theology with regards to works of piety and mercy meeting with repentance, as necessary to full sanctification, if not at least as evidence of full sanctification. “True faith is manifestly shown by good living and not by words only…true faith is no unfruitful thing but a thing of perfect virtue, of wonderful operation and strength, bringing forth all good motions and good works.” "Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" ~1 John 3:18

Further to this I conquer with Wesley’s insistence that “the church is best defined in action, in her witness and mission, rather than by her form of polity.”

God has called the church to be salt & light, this in essence is our witness, our mission our faith in action. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:13-16

But salt left in the shaker does no one any good, nor does a light hidden under a bucket. We need to get out of our churches, off the pews, and into the world. Being Salt is all about getting in there, mixing in with the world, so that we can season it, purify it and preserve God's kingdom, so that we can usher in Heaven on Earth. Being light, means that we are to shine, reflecting the joy and hope we have found in Jesus. 

A Cup of Cold Water

I am impressed and inspired by the simple and authentic actions of Christians. On the other hand people who have incredible biblical knowledge, astounding giftedness, and pious spiritual lives, leave me yawning, if it is void of simple and sincere expressions of their faith, and love of God and others.

I've said it before and I will say it again, I am a Walton's kinda girl, content with a Walton's kinda life. While I personally love academics, the arts and culture, what really delights my heart is community, relationships with people and God.

Friday afternoon, I experienced a Walton's moment. One person's simple and sincere action left me encouraged, inspired, and refreshed my faith in people, the church and those who serve in it! A young pastor from an FM church in Cloyne, knocked on the door of our church office, asking if any of the pastors were in. I was the only one remaining in the office that afternoon I told him, to which he asked if it would be alright to come in and pray for me.

I was astounded by what I learned next, this young pastor and another gentleman he was mentoring, had driven to Kingston for the sole purpose of going church to church to pray for the pastors. No hidden agendas, so self serving motives, no grandiose gesture, but a gift that spoke volumes. This is in large part what I believe it looks like to be the "church" - it is relational - it has a face - it seeks to serve others, to the glory of God. It is simple, it is pure, it is selfless. This one action, was so refreshing, like being offered a glass of the coolest water, in the dryest of deserts.

It certainly served as affirmation and encouraged me to initiate "iSERVE * iPRAY" that  Sunday. The encouragement continues as people decide to join in.  So man dedicated to growing in love and service of God and others. One participant wrote on the Facebook discussion page that their "Live the Word Challenge" for today was to "write a thank you note to a person from their past who has made a difference in their life". This is what they shared "...She was my JMS (Junior Missionary Servants) leader in church when I was young. She taught us songs in Swahili and who knew that years later, I would sponsor a beautiful girl in Kenya and have the chance to visit her and meet so many wonderful people. My heart is in Kenya and I thank God all the time for Mrs. Smith. She's an amazing God-fearing woman, everyone that knows her, loves her." Simple actions that impact the lives of others in profound ways, ways we may never even realize this side of heaven what a difference even the smallest acts of service may have.

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward" Matthew 10:42

Practicing what I preach, my live the word challenge for today is: to commit to praying for 2 people everyday for the next 6 months. 1 person from your church and one from your community. I have committed to praying for an amazingly generous and kind woman from our church, who faces mental and financial challenges and yet remains one of the most generous, and kind people I know. The person from the community I'm praying for everyday is our Mayor Henry Rosen. I know little about Him, but plan to learn a bit about him personally and His service to our city each day and will pray specifically for him based upon what I learn.

iSERVE * iPRAY

This morning was great!  My excitement was not in vain!  God is up to something, He is always up to something, but we have been invited to play a small part in seeing His plans come to fruition.

Today we launched the iSERVE * iPRAY movement.  I refer to it as a movement, because it is not so much a program as much as it is a lifestyle change.  40 days towards developing a heart and habit, of focusing on God and others. Over the next 40 days, I truly believe people's lives are going to be transformed, they are going to grow in faith, and love.  As a result the lives of those around them are going to changed, as well as their churches and community.

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16

This was all initiated with the belief that everybody wants to change the world, but many don’t even know where to start. iSERVE * iPRAY is 40 days of Prayer & Service. A humble little 40 day devotional and action plan, for ordinary people who want to make extraordinary things happen. It is a practical guide to being salt and light in our world. When implemented with sincerity of heart, purpose of mind and the power of prayer, we will not only see our self change but will potentially experience a transformation in our life and the lives of those around us that will create ripples which will echo into eternity. If we give a little of our self— we really can make a difference!

Having practical application, in addition to God’s word and prayer helps us to grow in both our being & doing as Christians. It is important that we keep this is balance – If we just do the actions we simply become powerless humanitarians, and if we just pray and read God’s word, we become pew potatoes.

I printed off 160 devotionals believing that this would leave us with a few extras, for those who could not make it this morning, as well as friends of friends etc.  Much to my surprise and delight, by the end of the service all 160 were gone, and I was rushing to get more printed!  People were requesting copies for their small groups, bible study groups and friends.  There was a definite excitement and anticipation in the air.

As stories are shared and my own experiences develop over the next 40 days, I will be sure to include them in blog posts.

If you would like more information about the  iSERVE * iPRAY movement, and /or are interested in receiving a free copy of the devotional and action plan,  feel free to contact me.