Our Markers: Presence
August 29th, 2013 | John Chandler
On Thursdays, we are reflecting on our Markers, which we talked through at our one of our first Cultivate gatherings. These are shared understandings that form our life together and guide what we do.
The final of these markers is Presence, and our description of it reads like this:
As a church community, we are the presence of God in the world today. God is continually moving into the brokenness of this created world, and so do we. Compelled by God’s love, we partner with the resurrected Christ to recover the beauty, renewal, and justice that our broken world longs to see. We pray that we will be able to help God’s will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
A community that only looks forward and backward isn’t enough. As we see the narrative of God’s work in the world, and as we enter into the expectation of what God has yet to do, we enter into it right now. We actively look for ways to enter into what God is doing today, to partner in the work of redemption, repair, and renewal.
Together, we understand that God is present as we gather and with us as we disperse. We submit together to practices and rhythms that will allow us to see how God is at work around us and to accept the invitation to be part of that. We ask ourselves and one another: What is God inviting me to, and what am I going to do about it?
As we pay attention to that invitation, we expect that we will be called into the broken places where God is at work. As a community, we are present with one another, listening and acting together, supporting one another as step into spaces where God calls us to join in unfurling of the Kingdom of God. We are called toward justice in our local and global communities and maturity in our congregation.