MPC
29th January 2017.January 29 - John 13:35-36; 1 Peter 4:8-11 - "Created to Connect"
MPC
29th January 2017.
Phil Campbell
I was listening to an American expert the other day. American experts always kind of seem to have a special authority I guess. Or they used to until the last few weeks. But he's an expert on why some churches. Have so much difficulty welcoming and integrating anyone new.
If you're new here at MPC I don't know if that's your experience. That you've found it hard to feel part of the community.
I've actually spoken to people who have been here at MPC for years, and in some cases they still struggle.
The sense of being alone in the crowd.
A disappointing feeling of disconnection. When they're hoping for more.
The American expert put it this way. He said, people are like lego blocks.
We're built to connect.
But here's the problem.
We've got a limited number of connection points. Those magical little connector bumps that make Lego stick together.
You might be the gregarious kind of person, an 8 point connector.
You might be just a four.
But the point Gary McIntosh makes, the American expert, is that the way we do real life social networks, once all your connector points are taken up, there's no room for any more.
That we get to the point where our relationship capacity is all used up. So we put up a sign that says no vacancies. When it comes to friendships. When it comes to relationships. When it comes to caring. When it comes to loving... anyone new.
Maybe you know the feeling. By the time you've cared for grandma, by the time you've cared for your wife or husband, by the time you've cared for your kids, by the time you've been nice to your colleagues at work, by the time you've talked on the phone to your one best friend... nothing left in the tank. no connections left over. For anyone else.
Or if you are a person who's been part of church for a while and you've made some good connections over the years... then maybe you'll feel pretty good about the way you're connected at church. And so you'll be here on a Sunday and you'll straight away click click click with your church buddies. And then your connections will be full. And nobody else will matter.
And if a new brick turns up you won't even notice. Let alone move over and make some space to connect. And get to know them. Let alone get to love them.
Which is again, less than than ideal. If we're going to take at all seriously the words of Jesus in our first reading where he says, John 13:34:
A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
That is, if you've got the capacity. Or the spare time. Or count it at all as important. Or want to take any notice at all of what the Lord of the universe has to say.
Do you notice, and this might sound weird to our 21st century ears where love is something that's apparently a mysterious and fleeting feeling that's beyond our control... do you notice that from the Lord Jesus... love is a command.
21st Century love just comes and goes as it will. 21st Century love is a sentiment. 21st Century love is an incredibly mixed up mess of emotions; and I might love you today so I'll insist on the right to marry you; but you need to understand upfront that if the feelings go, then who knows where things will be tomorrow.
Or there's a new trend. That's kind of another angle on that.
Spoiler alert. Lou and I went to see La La Land the other day. The music was great. And it's a beautiful 21st century love story. Except in the end they both love pursuing their dream. More than they love one another. And so the climax of the movie is that a point of decision.
The music's great by the way.
But the sad message is, with 21st century love, apparently all sorts of other things are more important than relationships. Like first and foremost being true to yourself.
It's all about what's been called "expressive individualism." Be an individual; express yourself. At all costs. Even at the expense of the people you, however you define it, love.
There's an old fashioned word for that. Selfish.
And Jesus, you won't be surprised, has a different view.
Jesus says, I'm not talking about what feels good.
I'm not talking about sentiment.
I'm talking about love in the way I'm about to define it.
I'm talking about the kind of love that involves self sacrifice.
This is part of his final briefing to his disciples.
And he says, I'm heading to the cross for you.
I'm going to take on God's judgement for you. So you won't have to.
I'm going to carry the load for you. So you won't have to.
I'm going to give up my life for you.
That's love.
So here's the thing...
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Love each other sacrificially. like that.
And it's not just a suggestion. It's a command. And it's not just a warm feeling towards one another. It's costly self sacrifice for the sake of someone else.
And it's not just if you feel you've got the capacity. It's going to be deliberate. And it's going to be costly. And it's going to actually mean putting other people first. Because that's in the end what real love is.
The love of Jesus. Has taken you exactly as you were. Has accepted you. With open arms. Has brought you into his family. When you didn't deserve it.
And so he says to us, love each other like that.
And when we do that... everyone will see that we're different. When we do that, everyone will know. That we're disciples of Jesus Christ, if we really get serious about loving one another.
Which might mean disconnecting some stuff that's filling up your life so you can really connect as a church family.
Which might mean getting to bed earlier on a Saturday night so you've got energy to put into relationships on a Sunday.
Which might mean opening your tightly connected circle over morning tea on a Sunday, so there are some spare connections to include somebody else...
Now friends, as we start out on a new year together, as we wind down the holiday season and launch into the real stuff, as I paint a bit of a picture of what we're hoping our church year will hold in 2017, I want to say it's nothing new. And it's nothing clever. And it's not a profound new theological insight.
It's just to note that if you look at all the things mpc as a church is strong in, there are people who'll tell you that being a loving community. Is something we still need to work on.
And see, you might have a blind spot there. You might be an eight point connector lego block and all your little connect buttons are connected. And so when you're here at church you've buzzing with a satisfying feeling of connectedness. And yet standing there just over from you and your eight connected friends in the courtyard is somebody new. Who's connecting with no one. Because we're all clicked together already. And there's no room.
We've gotta create more and more... open connections.
We've gotta keep working... at building community.
We've gotta keep our eyes open for one another.
We've gotta not fill up all our social connections with Facebook time and keep space for real relationships.
And it's all going to be with a focus this year on the simple stuff. That community is made of.
Our second reading this morning, was from Peter. The first passage was John, passing on the direct words of Jesus. Now John's colleague and friend Peter. In a letter he's writing later.
The bible reference is 1 Peter 4, and verse 8.
above all, says Peter. This is important. Above all...
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Friends, how are we going to love one another deeply. If we don't even get together as a family? How are you going to love one another deeply... if you're only ever at church every now and then when you happen to feel like it? If you're not in a growth group? Or you've signed up for a growth group and you don't even go? How are we going to love one another ... if you're in a church where you don't even know anyone?
Peter says, above all. As the top item on your to do list, not somewhere down the bottom. As the big issue on your weekly agenda. Not the footnote. block out the time first. And then see what else you can fit in afterwards. above all, love one another deeply.
And Peter goes on with some practical tips. Follow his words on the screen...
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
Now again, this isn't exactly complicated. And yet more and more it seems it's counter cultural.
Our homes are our castles. And sometimes it's like they come with a drawbridge and a moat. Or we'd like them to. Because home is where we withdraw from the world. It's private, isn't it? Our private world. With our home cinema so we can watch Netflix and we don't even have to go out to the movies any more. And our favourite TV shows are Master Chef and My Kitchen Rules, because if you watch close enough you can dish up your own restaurant style cooking at home. And you'll share it with your family maybe. Or one or two friends. But by and large home is home. And it's not for sharing.
Peter says. Don't grumble about it. offer hospitality.
Open up your home. Your family. Your fridge.
Because it's a great way to get to know one another. And to get to love one another.
Which is why, and again this is in a way just absolutely basic, but it's why in our church calendar this year we've got things like Dinners for Eight. Where there'll be volunteer hosts showing hospitality, and there'll be volunteer visitors. Tough job. Offering to come and share a meal.
Offer hospitality to one another. Which is why, a couple of weeks ago Lou and I launched our visionary and extravagant new pilot program when we invited everyone at morning church around for a cheese toasty lunch.
I know that was a risk. Inviting 400 people to lunch. 12 came. The cheese toasties were delicious. The total cost was around $12.50. We can afford that.
We did it just to show that hospitality doesn't have to be complicated. That hospitality doesn't have to be fancy. Okay, we tidied the house up a bit. But there's all the difference in the world between hospitality and what some people would want to call entertaining. Where you make everything perfect and you're out to impress.
Hospitality only takes an open door and a cheese sandwich.
And we're going to be doing it again. So you can come and check it out. And then maybe try it yourself.
Peter says, open up. offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Because it's a great way to build love. To grow community.
And then one more step. Whatever gifts you've got, whatever you're naturally good at, whatever god's made you gifted at... don't just use it for yourself. But use it for your church family. To serve...
Look at his words.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should so so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever, Amen.
I know. It's tough isn't it? Or it can be. You can be right at the end of your tether. You can be peopled out. You can put in a really week at work. And you just want to put your feet up and pull up the drawbridge and be secluded in your castle.
And Peter says, no, open up. And make it a priority. To love each other. To serve each other with whatever gifts you can.
And when you that, you'll find you're doing it god's strength and not your own. And for his glory. Not your own.
Which is exactly where we want the glory to be.
So that's one of our big challenges. As a church. In the year ahead. To get better at this stuff. In spite of the cultural pressure in the other direction. In spite of the individualism. That's all around us.
It's the reason. You'll see things in our church calendar that are all about connecting. Being in a growth group together. Doing life together. Enjoying one another. Sharing our gifts together. Eating meals together. Hospitality.
I want to close with a two minute video that runs through some highlights of our year program. And I want to invite you. To urge you. To be part of growing community at mpc this year. As we grow together as followers of Jesus. For the glory of God.