Weekly Update

As we move ahead with completing our vision statements and strategic plan the question of how we invite and to what we are inviting people looms large, at least for me.
There are two orders of our witness at Reconciler: to fellow Christians asking them to consider the meaning of unity of the faith and call to love and be reconciled to God and one another, the other is giving witness to God's invitation to the world to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Both of these aspects of our witness may challenge us in our own faith and push us to the edge of our own understanding.
In whatever degree this is so we should be encouraged that we do not rely on our own understating or even faith, but put our trust in God and the Spirit. Recognizing our own limits can lead us to a depth of honesty that can be a powerful witness to the work of God in us and in the world. We do not need to be absolutely convinced or act as if being Christian makes everything absolutely clear. The strongest witness may be to admit how even in our own faith things seem precarious, but in our weakness and lack of understanding we are lead to God in Jesus Christ. After all we are not proclaiming our strength of belief or even our mighty faith but the faithfulness of God and God's mighty works centered and fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
We witness ultimately to a relationship that was not initiated by us but by God.
In the end our motivation should be that of love! Love of God, love of our brothers and sisters in Christ and love for those in the world. If we do not have love all our talk of unity and of Christ is just more meaningless chatter with which most are bombarded every day.
My brothers and sisters love one another and love the world, for God so loved the world and God is love. Pray that all our planning and writing of vision statements and all we do be infused with the love of God.
In Christ,
Larry