Cultivate Relationships (2018.01.21 Sermon)
January 22nd, 2018 | John Chandler
John Chandler continues our new Mission & Methods series with a teaching on our second method: We cultivate relationships that lead to both friendship and formation.
Quotes & Resources Mentioned:
- It’s time for Apple to make a less addictive iPhone — New York Times
- Time Well Spent: We are building a new organization dedicated to reversing the digital attention crisis and realigning technology with humanity’s best interests.
- How a handful of companies control billions of minds every day — Tristan Harris TED Talk
- What if we thought of ourselves in simpler terms: friends together in the Kingdom of God. We’d have much more patience with one another. We’d give each other a break. We’d follow Jesus’s words in his sermon on the mount: Be easy on people. We’d laugh more often. We’d have plenty of gentle space for people to move among us without our clinging to them or expecting them to fill some role for us or for our church. Nothing would be at stake. When I’m with a true friend, I’m free to ponder out loud, to both wonder and wander, to head in the wrong direction, to be foolish—because love sustains us. — Winn Collier in Love Big, Be Well
- As a life-long lone-wolfer and introvert, my goals used to involve never being “needy” and I thought I was doing something heroic by taking on life with just me and God. Leaning into community and vulnerability to experience God in a deeper way was never really something I thought I wanted or needed. (Arrogant much?!) Through a strong community group, some brilliant and gracious friends, combined with the eye-opening words of Brene Brown (mostly “Daring Greatly”), I believe that being “needy” is synonymous with being human and I’m a better mom/wife/friend/human within the context of community than I could ever dream of being without. — Rachel Allen
- Perhaps the most significant way that relational connection has been formational for me is through receiving genuine love and care from people when I’ve been most vulnerable. Experiences where people have seen my innermost, imperfect self and still loved me have been deeply healing to me. Becoming a more whole person has increased my capacity know others, their stories, their vulnerabilties, and offer them love and care, which, hopefully, brings healing to them too. — April Karli
- We have a tendency to associate and categorize people into groups as it makes us feel safe. There is low risk of vulnerability when you are part of a group. As a Christian I am learning that choosing to be in relationship requires intentionality. Relationship requires vulnerability and it is through relationship that we are able to see past the group identity and connect with the individual (Imago Dei). It is through relationship with the individual, that I learn more about God and what it means to love the Imago Dei. — Jason Carrion
- Vulnerability is something we instinctively reject because we are taught from kindergarten on that we must protect ourselves, control her behavior and our lives. But in becoming man for us, Christ made himself totally vulnerable for us in Jesus of Nazareth, and it is not possible to be a Christian while refusing to be vulnerable. — Madeleine L’Engle in Walking on Water
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