UPI Newsletter

Connection vs Task

I recently preached at our home church here in Delaware, and I thank you all for praying for me. At the heart of my message was a contrast of two words, connection vs task.

Most of us have a natural bent towards one or the other. We tend to be either connection/relational oriented, or task/objective oriented. This may seem like it’s not a big deal, but once you start to look at it in the context of our relationships, especially our relationship with God, it is a big deal.

How we view, and thereby relate to God, will be greatly influenced on whether we are connection oriented or task oriented. If we see God as our loving Father, our “Abba” daddy who we love to be with, we are leaning towards connection.

But if we view God based on how we are living, how little we are sinning, or how much we are doing for God, then we are leaning towards task.

Jesus told us to call God Abba, an intimate relational term. He came to reveal the true nature and character of God. Jesus also modeled what a connected relationship with God looked like. Maintaining His connection to God was Jesus highest priority.

In His teaching on the vine and branches in John 15, He tells us that what we do is because of our connection to the vine. Our life and the fruit that is produced is from this connection. The task comes after and from the connection.

Jesus then tells us that apart from Him, absent of connection, we can do nothing that has any eternal significance. He also informs us that, absent of connection, we whither and die.

As the off-season approaches, we are forming groups once again to meet via Zoom or in person. We as a staff will be taking the guys through some material on practicing the ways of Jesus. One key element in the practices of Jesus was His connection to His Father. Join us as we, and the guys we are ministering to, will be implementing these practices.