Notes from the Path

Church Services

In an excellent book by Rob Bell with an unfortunately named title, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Rob seems to hit the nail on the head when we talk about what the ultimate purpose of the church is all about.  At Pathway Community Church we've been talking about what it means for us to be a "missional" people.  I think Rob puts it as simply as one can:

"When the goal of the church is to get people into church services and then teach them how to invite people to come to church services, so that they in turn will bring others to more church services--

that's attendance at church services.

And church is not ultimately about attending large gatherings.

Church is people.

People who live a certain way in the world.

People who have authority in the world, but authority that comes from breaking themselves open and pouring themselves out so that the world will be healed."  p. 160-161

"He doesn't need church, he needs God!"

In week 4 of the 14:24 Missional Leadership Initiative we watched a video presentation of Reggie McNeal.  McNeal gives a powerful challenge to North American Christians about what it means to represent the "King" and what the church is called to be. View Video

Week 3: From Church Shaped Mission to Mission Shaped Church

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Eyes of compassion to see Kingdom potential

Eyes of compassion to see Kingdom potential

(Bruner, Piper)

 Intro:  (times when I felt compassion)

 

  I remember when friends of ours son was burned in a family accident. I felt tremendous compassion and pity as I witnessed them struggle with the unknown in the immediate hours after the accident.  A feeling of helplessness.

 

I also remember serving for a week in Toronto and my assignment,with two kids from our youth group, was to paint the interior apartment of a young women from Jamaica who was battling AIDS and you could tangibly feel her sense of helplessness in her situation.

      Two situations that I can remember being moved with compassion for people and I am sure  numerous examples that I moved past compassion and any sense of empathy. “get over it” is probably  a posture that I am more inclined to take.  Or “they got what they deserved.”

  In today’s text we see the compassion of Jesus for those who are walking the wrong path and are lost, like sheep without a shepherd. 

Read Text. Matthew 9: 37-38

Week 2: An Emperors Vision, A Bridge, A Battle and an Edict: the “church” would never be the same

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