Blessed To Bless; Loved To Love.

“God has raised this church so that God’s presence and God’s power can be manifested in this city.” –Rev. Dr. Sam Vassel

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam noted that God has blessed Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene with a wonderful staff of pastors and leaders, a vibrant worship life, and a faithful congregation. But, he also noted that communities of faith do not exist in a vacuum: they exist to be a blessing to their home cities, and even to the entire world.

How can you and I bless? Here are a few practical measures:

v  Participation in local and global missions

v  Charitable giving

v  Living lives that reflect the character of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit

v  Intercessory prayer

God of love, teach us to love our neighbors.

God of blessings, help us to bless the world.

"Motions" Sickness.

Though my normal blog posts contain sermon reflections, I was so struck by Pastor Sam's pre-sermon prayer (during Sunday's 7:45 service) that I want us to spend today's post considering what he prayed in those few minutes before the sermon introduction. I think that my motivation to do this might be tinged with a measure of guilt: that is, his prayer touched a tender spot in my heart-- the knowledge of my shortcomings and showboating and failures in ministry work. My instances of falling short, our instances of missing the mark, are nothing to be proud of. But I believe that our pastor's prayer offered an opportunity not just for corporate confession, but also offered keys to move us towards repentance and spiritual growth.

Here is the essence of our shortcomings (acts that require confession and repentance):

• Some of us are "going through the motions" of worship. We aren't really engaged in seeking and practicing the presence of God. We're just running through our church/ministry routines, memorized and perfected over time, but the Spirit of the Lord is not being sought as we worship.
• Some of us are engaged in "mask-wearing". We are hiding behind the veneer of worship arts instead of confessing our shortcomings, sharing our sufferings, and acknowledging our deep need for God. [Please note that when I refer to "worship arts" I mean the community's engagement in worship, not just the engagement of persons tasked with leading worship.]
• Some of us are modeling the behavior of Adam and Eve after the fall. We are present in the garden made by God, but have opted to stop communicating with Him. Instead of running to the One who can truly cover us (epikalupto: Romans 4:8 and Psalm 32:1), we try to cover ourselves.

What is the heart-prayer of the believer?

• We desire not just ritual, but relationship with God in and through Christ Jesus.
• We reject mask-wearing and embrace the risk of transparency before God and man.
• Instead of hiding like Adam and Eve after the fall, we choose to walk in the light of Christ.

Pastor Sam's prayer reminded us that the act of surrendering to God is part of what identifies us as authentic members of a saved community. It is a community that enjoys communion-- the ultimate intimacy with Christ. We give ourselves completely to Him, and He freely works in and through us.

Today, we pray in line with our pastor's prayer: Lord God, burn in us! Shine through us, so that the world will see the reflection of where we have been: we have been with You. 

We are not just going through the motions.

Addressing The Specter Of Mission Creep.

Pastor Sam returned to the pulpit of Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene yesterday, following a nine-week sabbatical leave. His sermon, which was in essence an inaugural statement of his next phase of BBCN ministry, reminded us of our mission and purpose as members of this local church.

At the heart of his sermon was the concern of “mission creep”: that is, the danger of drifting away from the call and role that God has assigned to us as individuals and as a community of faith.

Our pastor noted two key questions concerning mission:

Who has God called me to be?

What has God called me to do?

The order of the questions is of paramount importance. Our pastor shared (and I paraphrase) that if we do not know who we are, then we will not know what we are to do.

Who are you? Are you aware of who God has called you to be? If you are not aware, then today is a good day to ask God to tell you who you are. His word asserts that He has distributed gifts to all His people by the Spirit of Christ (Ephesians 4:7; First Corinthians 12:7). No one has been left out.

Lord God, help me to find my proper place in Your great kingdom… teach me who I am, that I might know where I belong.