Exploring the Intersections of Faith and Life

Archive for the ‘Discipleship’ Category

The Business of Love – Sermon Seeds for the Church

Scriptures for Sunday, April 28, 2013

John 13:12-17, 34-35  and 1 Corinthians 131-3

As I read through the responses to my earlier question – what is the business of the church? – I considered what it was that linked all the responses together.  There were no wrong responses to the question, but the responses didn’t all fit into one neat category either.  So what links them together?  What underlies them?  What is it that motivates our need to come to be “refilled” on Sunday?  What spurs us to go out and share?  What connects us with those who have gone before?  It’s not enough to say “faith” or “God” or “the cross.”  We throw out those words so easily, we don’t often think about what we mean by them.  So is there something else that is more tangible that links our earlier responses together?

If you read the scriptures, you’ll see where I’m going – what if the business of the church was to become experts in love?  What if love is the linkage?  And if it is, what would the church look like if we became experts in love?  What does that mean?  What does that look like?  How does that challenge us?  What doors does that open for us?

Feel free to comment – I would love to hear your thoughts as I delve deeper into this in preparation for Sunday’s sermon.

Sue
~Rooted in Love
~Open to Grace
~Filled with Joy

Category:

Discipleship

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What is the business of the Church?

As mentioned in the last post, I am starting a series of sermons on the church and discipleship.  So to prime the pump and get some initial conversation (hopefully!) going, here are a question to get us started:

What is the business of the church?

I know the word “business” may not be the most common word to talk about what the church’s mission is, but think about it.  What is the church “producing?”  What is the goal of the church?  If you are a church-goer, you may want to think in terms of why you go to church – what do you hope will happen there, what do you hope to gain?  You may be tempted to use the religious language of church – mission, salvation, discipleship, etc.  Go ahead and use those terms, but then I challenge you to say more, using “non-churchy” language.  Sometimes we are so used used to the language of the church that we get stuck when we are asked to put it into words others might better connect with.  Personally, I find that the challenge of using non-churchy language pushes me to be more concrete to describe what I’m trying to say actually looks like in day to day life.

For those non-church goers who may be reading this, what would you, as a non-church-goer, think the “business” of the church should be, and why?

I await your input!

(If you accessed this from facebook, please leave your comments here, and not on facebook, so we  have have the conversation in one place.  Thanks!)

Peace,

Sue

Category:

Discipleship

New Series Starting

My blog has been silent for quite a while.  For the past year and a half, I have been serving as the interim (transitional) pastor at Eastridge Presbyterian Church, in Lincoln, Nebraska.  That has pretty much taken all of my time!  So my blog has been dormant for a while.  That’s about to change!

I am going to be preaching a series of sermons on discipleship and the church, and am going to be inviting the Eastridge church members to join in the conversation on this blog.  I would love it if others would join in too.  You don’t even have to be part of a church.  I would love to have your voice be a part of this conversation as we explore what the church is about and what a life of faith is about, and the questions and challenges that come with that.

My next post will simply be posing a couple of questions to start the conversation, and to provide some fodder for you and for me as I begin this process of developing these sermons.  Be forewarned – I may use some of your comments in the sermons that grow out of this!  But I will not use any names without your permission, or any identifying information.  If someone shares a story or a comment that I want to use that I think may inadvertently identify you, I will ask your permission first.  Each week, I will post the video sermons online and post a link here to the sermon, so those of you who are not part of the Eastridge worshiping community can hear them.

Because we have some guest preachers and the associate preaching on occasion, there will be weeks that no sermons are posted, but the conversation here will continue.

Please note that all comments on this blog are moderated, so your comments won’t show up immediately.  All comments are welcome, however I will delete those comments that are flaming, disrespectful or offensive.

I have not tried this before, and I have no idea if anyone will join the conversation, so it will be interesting to see how this works!

(If you accessed this from facebook, please leave your comments here, and not on facebook, so we  have have the conversation in one place.  Thanks!)

Peace,

Sue

Category:

Discipleship