Membership: Participation in the Church

Well, let me add to Fraser's welcome. Very good afternoon. Let's pray as we open up God's word together.

Lord Jesus, we have already looked so much at what it means to be your church here.

And now as we open up your word, just make it real to each one of us, we ask.

Speak to each of us. We need to hear your voice loud and clear through your word this morning. Amen.

Amen. Well, last week we looked at the foundation of the church.

And Graham, our assistant pastor, spoke to us about the fact that at the very foundation of the church is the gospel,

is the good news of Jesus Christ, his death, his resurrection, his ascension and flowing from that.

The fact that he calls all those who believe in him to automatically be part of his church.

And today we're going to build on that by saying, OK, we've got that. We've got that as the foundations.

But now what does it look like to be part of this church?

And what does involvement in the church look like?

And I think you'll have got from the video clips and from some of what is said that you're going to hear about the fact

that this is something that involves every single one of us who are here today

and all those who, for whatever reason, are maybe out teaching kids or are just not able to be with us today.

So that's where we're going to go.

It strikes me that this morning's talk is going to be a little bit like a driving test in some respects.

Now, I did my driving test 23 years ago.

I am horrified to acknowledge.

And at that point, all you did was sit in the car and drive around.

And then at the end, the guy said, right, look at some road signs.

Do you know what that is?

Yeah, that's a stop sign.

Do you know what that is?

That's a giveaway sign.

That's fine.

You've passed your test.

But nowadays, I believe it's much more difficult.

Is anybody in the process of sitting a driving test just now or learning to drive?

None of you are learning to drive.

Gosh.

Okay, well, if you are going to be learning, you've got to get the theory bit right.

And you've got a separate theory exam.

And then you go and do the practical bit where you're actually driving around the road.

So we're going to have two aspects to the message.

We're going to have some theory.

And then we're going to have it.

We're going to see what it looks like in real life.

Okay, this whole thing about church.

But it's going to be much better than a driving test.

There's not going to be any failing at the end of the day.

And it's going to be an awful lot more fun.

Because this is a brilliant topic, I believe.

The theory of what church is all about.

And then we're going to look at a real life example of church actually living up to the theory.

And that's going to be in Romans chapter 16.

Romans 16 · chapter mention

But the theory, first of all, and really if you remember and can let four words sink in,

then you'll pretty much have the theory.

Okay, although we're going to try and apply that theory a little bit over the next few minutes.

So here are the four words which I think pretty much capture the theory that's in the New Testament

about what the church is supposed to be.

Number one is a house or a home.

I'm going to describe it as a home today.

Number two is a body.

Number three is a family.

Number four is a community.

And I'd love it if by the time we go away we've got those four words sunk deep down

and we can think through what that means in practice.

A home, a body, a family and a community.

Those four words used to describe the theory about church and involvement in church

according to the New Testament.

Let me start then with this word house or home.

If you've got a Bible either in paper copy or on your phone or something like that,

you might want to dot around with me because we're not having only one text.

We're looking at a few.

And we'll start off in 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 4.

1 Peter 2:4

1 Peter chapter 2 verse 4.

1 Peter 2:4

And here, check with me that I'm not getting the theory wrong.

I'm pretty sure if we're doing a theory exam and it was about what is church like,

then we'd have to say, wait a minute, there's something around houses and homes.

It's there in 1 Peter chapter 2.

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him.

So this is a reference to Jesus.

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood

offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

And then we'll dash on to verse 9.

It says,

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession,

that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

So let's get our head around this idea of the church being a home.

Well, we've sung already such a helpful song which helps us understand this.

We've sung that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.

And that's the idea in this passage here.

That we can have in our minds the idea of the church as a building where Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.

The stone that is absolutely essential in terms of holding the whole thing together.

But that every single one of us are also invited to take our place as stones in this building.

But it's not just some kind of house where nothing's happening, which is why I'm describing it as a home.

Because we're described as living stones.

And there's something that's not static, but that's really dynamic about this house.

So it really is a home which God is building.

And the key point I want to get across in relation to this first bit of theory about church

is that it's somewhere where we all belong.

Isn't that what we have in mind for many of us if we've had a happy background and we think about home?

It's a place of refuge.

It's a place where we can return to.

It's a place where regardless of what else has been happening, we all belong at home.

And I want to say to each one of you coming into church today

that I long and pray that you might feel that this place is home.

It's a place where Jesus Christ is the key cornerstone.

But it's a place where each of us are invited to come and contribute to the overall building project

that Jesus Christ is doing and that God is doing.

And why do I say I think the key thing is to understand that in this home we all belong?

Well, let me refer again to verses 9 and 10.

Because it's very easy to think, oh, do you know, I'm not sure that I, that me,

I've really got an entitlement to play an integral part in this home.

I reckon that there's others around me that probably play a part in the home.

But I'm not sure.

I've done too much in the past.

I've had too many regrets.

I've got too many failures.

I'm too old.

I'm too young.

I'm too inexperienced to really play an integral part.

Well, the apostle Peter tackles that here.

He says, yes, once you were not a people in verse 10,

once you had no place in this home,

once you weren't part of it at all,

but now through Jesus Christ,

through that wonderful foundation of the gospel that we learned about last Sunday,

once you were not a people,

but now you are the people of God.

Once you had not received mercy.

It's true.

You've not been part of this all your life,

but now you have received mercy.

We were in Disney for our first time ever over the summer

and we found it somewhat corny,

but in some ways slightly comforting

that every single time we went back into the particular hotel

that we were going to,

the people said two words to us

and it was in an accent,

which I'm tempted to imitate,

but I'll get it wrong.

They said, welcome home.

Every single time.

I'd like to say that today genuinely

to all those of you who form a part of Brunsfield,

whether this is just your first or second time

or you've been here a hundred times or a thousand times,

welcome home.

Let's remember that Jesus Christ

is the absolute center and cornerstone

and he wants us to feel that this is part of the house,

the building, the home that he is building.

It's a home.

It's also a body.

And here I'm going to turn you to Romans chapter 12 and verse 4.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

Again, if you want to turn to it, that would be great.

If you'd rather just listen, that's fine.

There's various passages which I could turn to in the New Testament

where the church is compared not as a house or a home,

but the church is compared to a body,

a single body.

We could look at Ephesians chapter 4,

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

but for today we're going to look at Romans chapter 12.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

So listen to this.

Romans chapter 12, verse 4.

Romans 12:4

For just as each of us has one body with many members

and these members do not all have the same function,

so in Christ we, though many, form one body

and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us.

If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.

If it is serving, then serve.

If it is teaching, then teach.

If it is to encourage, then give encouragement.

If it is giving, then give generously.

If it is to lead, do it diligently.

If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

So it couldn't be clearer, could it,

that God says that the church that he established,

built on the foundation of the gospel,

is intended to be like a body.

Well, to understand this more fully,

I have had to have recourse to some of the doctor friends

who are in the church today.

Now, folks, for those of you who don't know,

we're spoiled for choice at the moment.

We are blessed to have many doctors among us.

This is a brilliant place to fall ill.

So, you know, if you're not feeling great any Sunday,

don't worry, come along,

because if something goes wrong,

there'll be people running towards you,

ready to help, thanks to all the doctor friends.

Then again, maybe some of you are actually thinking,

don't say that, I'm off duty,

and I've been working hard.

But anyway, one particular doctor friend

who is serving in other ways,

David, who's at the back,

told me a little bit about how the body works.

He said this,

if a part of the body is injured,

e.g. muscle strain,

this puts more work onto the opposite leg

to compensate for and support the injured leg.

This reflects in the church.

We have a role to support injured or weaker parts of the church,

even if this means more work for ourselves.

I think David put that in a beautifully positive way,

because we could be really negative and say,

are you causing the rest of the body to limp along?

But we're not going to say that today at all, okay?

We're going to look at it positively,

and we're going to say that each one of us

has an essential part to play

in order that this body,

the church at Brunsfield,

or any other churches that you're represented,

in order that this body functions really well.

It's intended to be a body that's full of energy,

that's full of vitality,

that's able to run,

that's able to do incredibly powerful things,

and for that to happen,

each one of us has got a key part to play in the body.

But we recognize that sometimes,

bits of the body won't be working well.

Sometimes bits of the body

just can't perform their full function.

And isn't it beautiful that in the human body,

what happens is that other bits of the body

kick in to compensate for

and really help make up for

what is lacking in the bits that are sick or struggling.

And I think that's a lovely image

which we could try and take,

because I can look around,

and I can say that I know there are some people

who have been performing

an incredibly active role in the body

for many, many, many years.

But maybe the time has come

and actually they're struggling

or they're unwell,

and they can no longer play that part.

And my hope is, my belief is,

that as God brings others into the body here,

he encourages every one of us

to play the part that we can.

In Romans 12, we read about

the whole variety of gifts

which he gives to every one of us.

Every one of you,

you are here with God-given gifts.

And in this church,

the theory says, at least,

that we will be able to use those gifts

in order to ensure that that body is healthy

and growing and full of life and vitality.

What is your part in the body

at Brunsfield here?

Maybe as you look through the gifts,

you think, oh, I'm not sure.

Well, maybe try out some opportunities.

Later on today and over lunch,

we'll be making known

some of the opportunities that there are.

But equally, it's not all about joining rotas.

Look at some of this.

It might be giving.

If I can refer to Fraser's

very gentle and subtle plug

about giving to the church

potentially through wills.

Maybe it's leading.

Maybe it's showing mercy.

And we'll come on to an example of that

in just a minute or two.

So there's a theory number one.

The body is a home.

Sorry, the church is a home.

Number two, it's a body.

Number three, it's a family.

Now, we could look at

so many different passages here.

I'm not going to turn to them all,

but there are many passages

where what is referred to

or how the apostles

and the writers of the New Testament

refer to the other Christians

is in the following terms,

brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters.

The language that we use for family.

Very briefly, if you want to look at it,

Hebrews 2.19,

you are not foreigners and strangers,

but fellow citizens with God's people

and members of his household.

We're all part of God's family.

And therefore, in this household,

we are brothers and sisters with one another.

1 Peter 2.17 says this,

love the family of believers.

And a minute or two,

we'll read together Romans chapter 16,

Romans 16 · chapter mention

where we'll see so many references

to our sisters, Phoebe,

the brothers and sisters with them.

I wonder if we truly see each other

as part of a family.

I kind of feel for me when I was younger

in a much smaller church,

people were referred to as brother,

as sister,

as for the kids,

as a child,

I knew others as auntie and uncle.

And there was that real sense of family.

And my prayer,

perhaps my challenge,

would be that we try to

possibly recapture

the sense of Brunsfield as family.

It doesn't matter

whether you've been here

for a long time or a short time.

And maybe the particular responsibilities

and those of us who've been here

for quite a long time

to be sufficiently welcoming of others

so that we recognize

that we're not only a house and a home,

we're not only a single body,

we're also family.

And the people sitting next to you,

behind you,

in front of you,

in Christ Jesus,

are brothers and sisters.

Isn't that great?

We don't need to feel alone.

We don't need to be isolated

because you're not sitting next

to a group of strangers.

In Christ,

you're sitting next to brothers and sisters.

Here's my challenge.

Could you manage,

after church,

at some point today,

to refer to somebody else

as brother or as sister

and really mean it

because that's what we are in Christ.

Finally, community.

In so many passages of the New Testament,

we hear the word fellowship

and literally the word is koinonia,

linked to the words common,

sharing and participation.

We're in community with God the Father,

God the Son and God the Spirit

and we're in community with each other.

And I think the key verse that gets that

is that one that I read

from Romans chapter 12,

Romans 12 · chapter mention

which I think really,

really challenges

the kind of predominant individualistic tone

of our society.

Romans 12, verse 4,

Romans 12:4

each of us has one body with many members

and these members do not all have the same function.

So in Christ,

we, though many,

form one body

and each member belongs

to all the others.

Each member belongs

to all the others.

There's this real sense of closeness.

There's this real sense of interdependence.

There's this real sense of support

for one another.

I think that's some of the sense of community

or the fellowship

that we are intended to have.

I've been reading a great book this week

called Total Church

by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis.

And they say this,

by becoming a Christian,

I belong to God

and I belong to my brothers and sisters.

It's not that I belong to God

and then make a decision to join a church.

My being in Christ

means being in Christ

with others who are in church.

This is my identity.

This is our identity.

And they go on to provide

what I found quite a helpful illustration

where they say that so many of us

can feel that in life

we're kind of juggling lots of balls

and we're there on our own

trying to just keep all these balls in the air.

Yeah?

Does that feel familiar to some?

And we've got family

and we've got work

and we've got studies

and church is one of the balls

that sometimes we feel

we need to try and keep in the air

and sometimes it drops

because there's so many other things.

And the challenge from the theory part

which is coming to an end now

is not to see church

as just one of the balls

that's up in the air

but to see what God is doing to us

through Christ

is meaning that I'm not standing

on my own juggling balls at all.

Actually, I'm in a fellowship.

I belong to others

and at the very heart of me

is my relationship with Jesus Christ

and my relationship with those around us.

So we together belong to one another

and it's we together who are at the centre

perhaps juggling lots of balls

all around us

but let's not see church

as just one of them.

It's much more integral.

It's much more central.

And I think that's absolutely clear

through these four phrases.

Home.

Body.

Family.

Community.

But what does it look like in practice?

I want to take you

in our last 10 minutes or so

10-15 minutes

to a beautiful example

of the practical reality

of church

as it's really intended to be

by God.

Can you come with me

to Romans chapter 16

Romans 16 · chapter mention

and we'll look at some of these examples

of people.

Context here is

the Apostle Paul

is writing a letter

to the church in Rome.

He longs to be with them

but he can't be with them

for various reasons.

But as he writes this letter

he speaks about the people

in the church

and he gives us a beautiful insight

of how that church

was functioning.

And I think that church

was functioning

as both body,

building,

family and community.

Come with me

and let's look in

on this church.

Verse 1

I commend to you

our sister Phoebe

a deacon of the church

in Centuria.

I ask you to receive her

in the Lord

in a way worthy of his people

and to give her

any help she may need for you

for she has been

the benefactor

of many people

including me.

Verse 3

Greet Priscilla and Aquila

my fellow workers

in Christ Jesus

they risked their lives

for me

not only I

but all the churches

of the Gentiles

are grateful for them.

Greet also the church

that meets at their house.

Greet my dear friend

Epenetus

who was the first convert

to Christ

in the province of Asia.

Greet Mary

who worked very hard

for you.

Greet Andronicus

and Junia

my fellow Jews

who have been in prison

with me.

They are outstanding

among the apostles

and they were in Christ

before I was.

Greet Ampelatus

my dear friend

in the Lord.

Greet Urbanus

our fellow worker

in Christ

and my dear friend

Stachys

Greet Apelles

whose fidelity

to Christ

has stood the test.

Greet those

who belong

to the household

of Aristobulus.

Greet Herodian

my fellow Jew.

Greet those

in the household

of Narcissus

who are in the Lord.

Greet Triphina

and Triphosa

those women

who work hard

in the Lord.

Greet my dear friend

Persis

another woman

who has worked

very hard

in the Lord.

Greet Rufus

chosen in the Lord

and his mother

who has been

a mother

to me too.

Greet Assyntricus

Philegon

Hermes

Patrobus

Hermas

and the other

brothers and sisters

with them.

Greet Philogius

Julia

Nerus and his sister

and Olympus

and all the Lord's

people who are with them.

Greet one another

with a holy kiss.

All the churches

of Christ

send greetings.

Verse 21

Timothy my co-worker

sends his greetings

to you

as do Lucius

Jason

and Sosipater

my fellow Jews.

I Tertius

who wrote down

this letter

greet you in the Lord.

Gaius

whose hospitality

I and the whole church

here enjoy

send you his greetings.

Erastus

who is the city's

director of public works

and our brother

Quartus

send you

their greetings.

Bit of a whistle stop tour

through an awful lot

of names.

I probably didn't do justice

to many of those names

and I want to just

focus in

in this last few minutes

on some of them.

Because I think

if we look at some of them

we get a beautiful picture

of the theory

being translated

into action

and I pray that we might

see some of that

here among us.

Phoebe

at the start.

There she is

Phoebe

our sister

I commend to you

Phoebe

our sister

a deacon in the church

and she's been the

benefactor

of many people.

I learned from looking

at this this week

that it seems almost certain

that Phoebe

who was with Paul

is the woman

who was entrusted

by Paul

to take the only

copy of Romans

and to travel

with it

over land

and across sea

and to take it

to the church

in Rome.

What an incredible

responsibility

was given to Phoebe.

It also seems

from the passage

and from what else

we can learn

that Phoebe

was a very well

off woman

possibly a business

woman in the day

and Paul says

Phoebe has been

a great help to me.

She's probably met

some of Paul's

financial needs

and in other ways

has come alongside.

Literally

what she's described

as is one

who has stood by

in times of need.

One who's stuck

close to Paul

when the going

has got tough

and Paul says

greet Phoebe.

I commend to you Phoebe.

She's travelling

with this precious letter.

Welcome her

because she's been

a great help

to me.

I look out

and I recognise

that some of you

are probably closer

to Phoebe

than you even imagine.

Some of you

have stood by

and helped others

in times of need

and that's one

of the ways

in which the theory

of the church

is brought out

in practice.

Look around.

There are others

in need today

and the challenge

is where are

the other Phoebes

who will stand by

in times of need

and where are those

like Phoebe

who can contribute

practically

and at times

financially

to the work

of God

here.

Maybe you're

a Phoebe.

He goes on

to say

greet Priscilla

and Aquila

my fellow workers

in Christ Jesus

they risked

their lives

for me.

Not only I

but all the churches

of the Gentiles

are grateful for them.

Priscilla and Aquila

are an amazing couple.

There are seven

references to Priscilla

and Aquila

in the New Testament.

Interestingly

most of the times

five of them

the woman is mentioned

first.

Twice

Aquila

the guy

is mentioned

first.

They are never

mentioned apart

and here I want

to look out

at some of the

couples

who are working

together for God.

Some of the Priscillas

and Aquilas

where together

you are able

to do

tremendous things

for God

and for his glory

in this place.

Greet Priscilla

and Aquila.

One of the most

beautiful things

that I've enjoyed

this week

about Priscilla

and Aquila

let me tell you

a wee story

about them

in Acts chapter

Acts 18 · chapter mention

18.

This great scholar

called Apollos

comes along

and he was one

of Paul's

right hand men

later on.

He was a big guy

big teacher

well learned

brilliant preacher

and he comes along

and he starts to

preach

and Priscilla

and Aquila

are there

and they recognise

that actually

Apollos has got

some stuff wrong.

He's got a pretty

mixed up on the

whole thing

about baptism.

So what do they do?

What would we do

if we think

there's people

where we just

know they're wrong?

We know

they are wrong.

What did Priscilla

and Aquila do?

Did they stand up

and say sorry

we have to say

that's wrong?

No.

What they did

and we read it

in Acts 17

you can look at it

they said

do you want to

come round

for a meal

Apollos?

Come round

let's share

an evening together

let's have some food

and over a meal

we read

that they gently

explained

to Apollos

the word of God

more accurately

and Apollos went on

to be an absolute

giant of the faith

who stood by Paul

in times of need

all because Priscilla

and Aquila

or maybe at least

in part

because Priscilla

and Aquila

had taken the time

as that couple

to invite him round

for a meal

and to say

let's have a chat

about what God's

really up to

and let me explain

to you one or two

things that might

not yet be clear

to you.

Priscilla and Aquila

are you out there?

I know you are.

Can you be the couples

who really stand

strong for God

who help us

who show such hospitality

and of course

crucially

Priscilla and Aquila

host a church

in their house.

We're all encouraged

to go and get that sheet

with our name on it

which says that we belong

to a home group

and thank you

to those who are choosing

to host house groups

over this next season.

If any of you

don't have your name there

because you haven't signed up yet

it's not too late

speak to Graham or I

we'd be delighted

to get you as part

of one of these

house groups.

Priscilla and Aquila

marvellous couple.

Verse 5

Epenetus

my dear friend

who's described

as the first convert

to Christ

in the province

of Asia.

And then verse 7

Andronicus and Junia

my fellow Jews

who have been

in prison with me

outstanding among

the apostles

and wearing Christ

before I was.

What point do I want

to make from

Epenetus

and Andronicus

and Junia?

Well it's there

in the passage.

Here we have

the experienced

men and women

of the faith.

Here we have

the people

who have been

disciples of Jesus

long before

the apostle Paul was

and Paul says

I want to greet you

Epenetus

I want to greet you

Andronicus and Junia

you're the guys

that have been at it

for so much longer

than I have

and you're still

going on

you're still encouraging

the newer brothers

and sisters in Jesus.

Epenetus

Andronicus

Junia

you don't have

those names

but you're here

today.

You're the ones

who are long

in the faith

please feel

part of the body

for as long

as God gives you

strength

to breathe

and to sing

his praises

and please encourage

those who have

not been part

of the body

for so long

those who might

be new in the faith

those who might

not yet even

have taken their

first steps

in the faith.

Paul looked at

that church

he gave thanks

for the older

believers

and we need

you older

believers

we need

the Epenetuses

and we need

the Andronicus

and the Junias

Verse 6

Mary

what she commended

for

Mary is the

hard worker

and then verse 12

Tryphena

and Tryphosa

those women

who work

hard in the

Lord

and then Persis

another woman

who has worked

very hard

in the Lord

it almost

goes without

saying

we saw it

beautifully

in one of

Fraser's

videos

that what

we also

need

for this

church

to function

properly

is the

hard workers

they've been

there today

already

the ones

who serve

coffee

the ones

who are

preparing

lunch

the ones

who are

teaching

the children

the ones

who have

been

rehearsing

like mad

in order

to bring

us great

music this

morning

the hard

workers

thank you

to all

those who

are taking

a stand

like Mary

like Persis

like Tryphena

and like

Tryphosa

there's one

lovely little

bit about

some of

those names

I just want

to bring

to you

I understand

that Tryphena

and Tryphosa

were the names

that would be

given to the

real elite

in the day

in Rome

right

those were not

the names

that just

anybody had

Tryphena

and Tryphosa

oh posh

names

suggesting that

the parents

were you know

had high

expectations

and were probably

from the kind

of ruling

class

but then you

come on to a

name like Persis

which in those

days

was the type

of name

that a slave

would have

and what we

see beautifully

in the church

here is people

from all

backgrounds

all classes

all walks

of life

but they're not

distinguished

they're just

here as people

who are working

hard in the

Lord

and it's great

that in Christ

our barriers

our backgrounds

are broken

down

because we are

here united

under Christ

and his

lordship

and those

backgrounds

are just

not important

may we

take care

that we

don't make

them something

important

we could go

on but time

is gone

so I'll only

mention in

verse 8

Ampelatus

who had been

a dear

friend

Urbanus

who had been

a fellow

worker

I can't finish

without mentioning

the mother

of Mary

sorry the mother

of Rufus

verse 13

have a quick

look

verse 13

greet Rufus

chosen in the

Lord

and his

mother

who has

been

a mother

to me

too

look out

at the

women

and ask

whether you

might be

mothers

to some

of the

younger

women

in the

church

look out

at the

men

might some

of us

be fathers

to some

of the

younger

men

in the

church

how are we

getting on

with mentoring

remember

delve

maybe that's

a practical

way

in which

we can

offer

a bit

of mothering

or fathering

to others

it was

happening

in the

church of

Rome

in practice

God would

want it

to happen

among us

here

verse 21

we go on

to read

about those

who were

working

alongside

Paul

he wasn't

doing it

alone

it was

not a

one man

band

and although

we are

blessed

to have

a pastor

assistant

pastor

youth

pastor

team

of elders

please

let's

not think

that this

church

thing

is something

that is

just for

one or

two

I want

to finish

with one

more quote

from that

book

Total

Church

if you

warm

to this

vision

of

Christian

community

then start

where you

are

sell

the vision

by modelling

the vision

don't become

a pain

to your

congregation

telling them

that everything

they are doing

is wrong

become a

blessing

by offering

hospitality

showing

practical

care

dropping

in on

people

create

around you

a group

of Christians

who will

share their

lives

and encourage

one another

in the

faith

you might

start

with your

home

group

you don't

have to

start a

campaign

for change

just get

on with

it

and make

your

community

better

let's

pray

thank you

thank you

for this

church

Lord

Jesus

thank you

for all

that you're

doing

among us

and thank you

for all

that you

have yet

to do

among us

we stand

amazed

we stand

amazed

we stand

amazed

to be part

of a

family

a body

a community

a home

and may we glorify you

in this place

by reflecting

just

to at least

some extent

what you

would call

the church

to be

pray that everyone

here who's been

listening today

might feel

part of this

home

and able

to do

what you

call us

to do

and to receive

the love

and support

that is here

for us

in this place

Amen