vintage faithful presence_2.12.17

“Faithful presence names the realitythat God is present in the world

and that (God) uses a peoplefaithful to (God’s) presence to make

(God) concrete and real amidthe world’s struggles and pain…(But) it doesn’t just happen.

We need practices that shape us to bea community of faithful presence.”

DAVID FITCH

Tangible exercises we engage in,not to earn the grace of God,

but to put ourselves in the positionto receive and experience the grace of God

as the Spirit works through themto form the character of Jesus in us,

both individually AND as a church family

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

ROMANS 5:10-11 For if while we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,

much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The restoration of friendly relations;reuniting; bringing together;

fence-mending

RECONCILIATION

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17-19So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:

everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

{ Matthew 18 }

{ PRACTITIONERS }

MATTHEW 18:15-17“If another member of the church sins against you,

go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.

But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by

the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender

refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

{ Matthew 18 }

{ PRACTITIONERS }

{ 1 Cor. 5 & 6 }

{ MODELERS }

1 CORINTHIANS 5:9-13b I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually

immoral persons— not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you

would then need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with

such a one. For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? God will judge those outside.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:4-6If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint

as judges those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is

no one among you wise enough to decide between one believer (lit: “brother) and another,

but a believer (“ “) goes to court against a believer (“ “)—and before unbelievers at that?

{ Matthew 18 }

{ PRACTITIONERS }

{ 1 Cor. 5 & 6 } { 2 Cor. 5 }

{ MODELERS } { AMBASSADORS }

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20So we are ambassadors for Christ,

since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ,

be reconciled to God.

Reconciliation does not - and cannot – consist of ignoring or denying that a wrong

has taken place, or that a disagreement exists, but of naming the wrong/disagreement,

choosing to face it head-on - together - towards the goal of forgiveness/peace/justice,

which is always a tangible expression of God's kingdom and presence among us.

DEACON GODSEY

{ MODELERS } { AMBASSADORS }{ PRACTITIONERS }

Maintenance M

ode – “Hunker In The B

unker”

Exha

usti

on M

ode

– “W

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ave

to S

ave

The

Wor

ld”

BENEDICTION (Mark 12)One of the scribes…asked him,

“Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is:

‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.”