Our missional vocation at St Wilfrid's is to share life, with Jesus Christ, With one another and with our communities. This year we are focusing on how we might go about discovering new relationships and enter into that which God is doing around us. This series of sermons tackles some of the things we might face as we extend to extend the circle of our lives outward towards others
Sent Active - Seeking the activity of God
Phil shares reflections on Luke 10 and Paul's missionary journeys, looking at how Jesus sends, and Paul goes, actively seeking the activity of God, and shares the vision for the year ahead.
An aroma, ambassador, and letter. This is how Paul describes the colossians, and how we might think of ourselves as we go about our daily business. In what ways might we be an aroma for Christ, or serve as his ambassadors, or even allow our lives to be read, like a letter, written by the Holy Spirit himself, not on tablets of stone, but hearts of flesh.
Reflecting on the hospitality that Abraham showed to his visitors, Ian helped us all to consider how we too, in every interaction that we have with others we have a unique opportunity. We have the chance to trigger a spark of recognition in that stranger. A chance to demonstrate something which this person may never have experienced before. For in each and every member of the human race there exists something of God and we have an opportunity to trigger that spark of recognition, of Christ in them, and of Christ in us. Bingo
We were reminded of the need for salt to be opened IN the crisp bag to make them salty.....and the need for us Christians to be where the people who don't know Jesus are, so we can bring the flavours of Him to the people we meet and know. It's no good being in a 'holy huddle', or waiting for them to come to us. Let's take the flavour of Jesus with us to our homes, our schools, our workplaces, our social groups....
Remaining distinctive: living in a different culture
Looking at the example of Daniel, we consider the call to be in the world but not of it, not above the world and aloof or supercilious, nor called to be below the world apologetic and excuse making, but sleeves rolled up called to engage with the world we live in, fuelled by a sense of identity and purpose that we find in Christ.
Who are you looking for? The art of attentiveness.
Wherever Jesus went he was attentive to what God was doing around him. Jairus and the woman who touches his clothes both had significant need and both desired something of God. We too are surrounded by folk who desire, for a host of reasons, something of God. Jesus is attentive to both the obvious and the not so obvious, deliberately looking to see where his Heavenly Father is at work around him. This whole series has all been about connecting with others, discovering those around us that God is sending to us and God is sending us to, that we might share life with them, that we may in doing so share Christ with them.
Sent Active.ppt
