To my surprise I got ahead of myself today and planned one of Sunday's two services, I even managed to get further ahead in my sermon preparation than I might normally manage. Looking at the Scriptures I decided to concentrate on the gospel reading which is taken from Matthew 4 this Sunday:
12Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” 17From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
18As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
I was particularly struck by Jesus words; "Repent. The Kingdom of heaven is near." Or as the Message puts it "Change your life. God's Kingdom is here." Our response then is made in the light of the closeness of the kingdom- Jesus draws our attention to it, calling us to refocus our lives and priorities in the light his life and teaching reveals.
I turned to Martyn Atkins book Resourcing Renewal, and began reading again his challenge to Kingdom focus, to turn our gaze outward to answer the call of missio dei and to become a missional church once again.
He quotes from Howard Snyder:
"The church gets into trouble whenever it thinks it is in the church business rather than the Kingdom business. In the church business people are concerned with church activities, religious behaviour and spiritual things. In the Kingdom business people are concerned with Kingdom activities, all human behaviour and everything God has made visible and invisible. Kingdom people see human affairs as saturated with spiritual meaning and Kingdom significance. Kingdom people seek first the Kingdom of God and it's justice; church people often put church above the concerns of justice mercy and truth. Church people think about how to get people into church; Kingdom people think about getting the church into the world. When Christians put the church ahead of the kingdom they settle for the status quo, and their own kind of people. When they catch a vision of the kingdom of God their sights shift...If the church has one great need it is this; to be set free for the Kingdom. (Atkins. 2007. p. 16-17)
He emphasises the missional calling of the church, stating that church-less mission is as wrong as a mission-less church, and challenges us to gain a fresh vision of ecclesiology- that mission shaped ecclesiology is inherently emerging ecclesiology. Church is and must be a work in progress, and every generation and situation should face the question what is and where is church here. Too often the pattern has become set and stifles not only creativity, but becomes deaf to the Spirits calling.....
And so I am led back to that question by Jesus words: "Change your ways. The Kingdom of God is near."
Here I am Lord, help me to change, and change me!
