There is a key theme appearing through the beginning of 2023 relating to the need for people to find a refreshing, and by that, I mean a refreshing in the Lord.
I believe there is an important reset required in the Body of Christ and for this reset to be effective a widespread refreshing is essential. Refreshing comes from our connection with our Lord through the disciplines of living as the disciples of Jesus; simple faith, centred on the Word, with a sabbath lifestyle.
One of the negative outcomes from the past COVID season has been a “turning inward” of people, generally prioritising themselves over others and seeking to remain indoors (or separate from others) instead of seeking community. This must change in order for the church to emerge as a demonstration of hope to a lost and broken world.
The wisdom of Solomon is clear on this, found in Proverbs 11:25;
“Those who refresh other will themselves be refreshed.”
This says to me that we find refreshing when we choose to serve others. A Christian community of faith should be living together, connected by “other-centred love” as demonstrated in the Trinity. This was described by early theologians as ‘The Great Trinitarian Dance’ as they explained the reality of the Trinity as “perichoresis,” which basically means “circle dance”. Trinity is a dance of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s not a top-down hierarchy. It’s a relationship of other-centred love.
We are called to be the body of Christ, serving each other. The apostle Paul’s teaching throughout the book of Ephesians speaks of our “oneness” as the core message of the church. I count no less than 23 references to oneness or togetherness in this letter to the church.
The community will know Jesus is Lord by the way we choose to love (serve) each other. Jesus made this quite clear in his discourse to his friends at their final supper;
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
How can we, the church of Jesus, demonstrate this love in practical ways? Firstly, I think we
need to look to each other and find ways to serve our church family. Secondly, we must look across the Christian community and see l to serve other church organisations.
Jesus intercedes for us in the High Priestly Prayer;
‘I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
As we live out our faith, may we bring refreshment to our church family and our community.
More resources:
Series: Reset for Refreshment
Message: Koinonia