Network Gathering February 13, 2020

Welcome

Worship: Our response to God’s goodness.

Singing

The Lord’s Supper

Passover: celebration of deliverance from death and slavery.

Jesus with his disciples: I want to eat this meal with you before I suffer.

Understand my sacrifice (I am the lamb) in the depth of meaning of this meal - there is coming a deliverance from a deeper slavery of all humanity to the power of sin and death.

I will soon confront and defeat the powers that hurt, destroy, kill (resurrection)

Paul - this meal is communion, fellowship, participation in the risen Christ.

Acts 2:42–46 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

TODAY

Jesus is hosting us. He is communing with us with his presence.

Through this meal, Christ makes us participants in his nature and character.

His presence feeds us.

• It is food for this life; kingdom life.

• It is a taste of what is to come.

Because the Lord himself communes with us in this bread and wine, we too are to commune with one another.

SLIDE

Jesus took bread, GAVE THANKS, and BROKE IT, and GAVE it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you.

SLIDE:

When our prayers seem unanswered and silence surrounds us, then be present with us Spirit of truth.

For you never will leave us, and never forsake us;

You promise to see us through.

For to you all our hearts are laid open, so we come as we are when we sing.

From you no secrets are hidden, so in worship, we'll bring you everything.

SLIDE:

We thank you, Father for your son, Jesus who knows us and you made possible for us to know.

You created all things for your purposes giving us all we need for life together as your people and we thank you.

SLIDE:

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

When we went our own way you did not reject us but came to meet us in your Son.

You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.

In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us.

He opened his arms of love on the cross, sacrificing himself to erase sin that keeps us distant from the Father.

Bread

Jack: Last Supper Bread

On the night he was betrayed, at supper with his friends he took bread, and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to them, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

SLIDE:

All: Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his body is the bread of life.

[EAT THE BREAD]

Cup

At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins;
do this in remembrance of me.

SLIDE:

All: Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his blood is shed for all.

[DRINK THE CUP]

SLIDE:

All: As we eat and drink, make us one in Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.

Song

Message: Keeping the Kingdom and it’s Mission Before Us

What’s Different About HC’s: Bearing Fruit in Keeping With Repentance to Hear Our Calling

Luke 3:8–14 ESV

Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

This is Kingdom Stuff - How do we read this?

Us and Them (exiles)

Read it from a position of power. Since Constantine, we have blended with kingdoms of the nations in which we live. vs no power

Believer vs follower/disciple

Individual Heart vs all of life

Scripture as text/knowledge to acquire vs Scripture as the Story of God as our story

Think correctly vs live faithfully

Battle vs non violence

Personal holiness/morality vs corporate holiness/justice

Minimum requirements vs requires all of life

Individualism vs collectivism

I make my own choices vs the community helps me understand what kingdom life is

Consumer vs part of something more important

Position of Comfort (peace) vs no comfort

Position of Stability vs instability

Worship as event vs worship as my response to God’s goodness

Support the values of power vs live God’s kingdom values

Social Justice isn’t the gospel vs Justice is the heart of the kingdom and it’s gospel

Repentance

Repentance is saying “I repent” - turn toward Jesus. ACTION. What action? We’ve said moral holiness.

John and many times later, Jesus: Not so fast. If you have, there will be evidence or fruit in keeping with that.

How do we interpret this?

An add on to checking the personal morality boxes. Do charitable work. Give to missionaries. Check.

The institution led by a small number of people do the things. By membership/association/giving, I do too! Check.

What is good fruit from people living in exile?

Galatians 5 - what does love, etc actually look like?

What are the actions? What should we DO? People wanted to know what was expected of them.

Similar to what must I do to be saved? And the answer is eerily similar.

- Notice the lack of individualism in his response. Speaking to a crowd and the individuals represent the others in the crowed just like them. That’s how this works.

John’s first answer is intensely practical: people should share what they have with those who have nothing.

Second: Don’t collect more than is appointed you. Don’t leave your job. Act with kingdom character in it.

Didn't say: confess your sins, pray to receive Jesus, Say, "I repent." Words mean little.

A true confession that Jesus is Lord involves more than the heart. It is more than personal piety. It results in caring about the things Jesus cares about and doing the things he commands (Matthew 28:18-20.

It’s Not Extra

Adopt these patterns, rhythms in your life.

These are signs of the kingdom and they have societal impact.

The kingdom and it's gospel is social

These are signs of the kingdom and they have societal impact.

Why? Because it is subversive.

Go read for yourselves all the places Jesus says - go and do likewise.

Where? Everywhere.

When? All the time

Alone? No.

To whom? Whomever God is calling you to love. Bring them into your life and go be in theirs.

Do likewise.

Some of us already do that and may be wondering, how is being the church this way any different? Because the rest of us who have been watching on TV or in the stands are now moving to the bench and onto the field.

It Will Change How you Worship (respond to God’s goodness)

Sharing

The Farm: Radcliffe’s

Safe Harbor

Willis

Chaos

Information

Many Moving Parts

Operating in learning and doing modes at the same time.

New processes - trying, adapting, etc.

Hasn’t been much to share

Budget and Giving

As discussed during the Generosity series in November: carrying over adjusted 2021 budget into 2022 as we work on new budget structure. By March.

Planned giving.

Hub

Organizing document drafts are finished.

Reviewed with EFCER - keep going as we consider new opportunities this brings.

Tuesday Elder meeting - will set affirmation process for adopting new bylaws according to current bylaws.