Here's a great insight from Peg Batcheller in Albuquerque..."Here's what I saw this morning in Colossians 4:7-9.
What a great example of an MRT, that even then, in the first century, men traveled in 2s, sent messages around the territories to share what was happening in their cities and to encourage the brothers and sisters in other cities. They sent messengers, whereas we just get online for a few minutes and tell our stories across the world. But the message is the same: communicate with each other how we are doing, and encourage the hearts of the others.
Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
You are right on, brother, in the MRTs working together to encourage the believers, and to share our stories. Thanks for the invitation to be here with you."
You are right on, brother, in the MRTs working together to encourage the believers, and to share our stories. Thanks for the invitation to be here with you."
Your thoughts?
John
Thanks for that simple observation, Peg. My heart lit up as I read it! As an observation it really is simple, but the significance of it is profound. There's something deep in my heart that wants to be doing things 'as at the beginning'. I think the same is probably true for all of us.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning was a time of simplicity and effectiveness in church life, and you've highlighted another example of that.
Thanks again! May you be blessed today in simplicity and effectiveness, Peg. In fact - may that go for all of us!
It occurs to me that this is really quite a simple endeavor, as Chris has noted. Yet as we look back at the first century, I wonder if perhaps what was simpler about it was the way Christians engaged God. Said another way, things seem a lot simpler when we let God be God and we see our role as a listening role. Things seemed to get a lot more complicated when we began to think we were in charge and could operate independently of the Spirit's leading. Just a thought. Thanks, Peg, for this Scripture!
ReplyDeleteThank you Peg. I am glad you are part; you are an important part of our shared experiment. I have valued your transparent collaboration from my first experiences with LK 10 to story's I have heard from John to now. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how easily it has been to gloss over these parts of the letters that don't seem to add much to our theology. It is exciting that an experiment like this might put more flesh on the text and open our eyes to this previously ignored passages.
Romans 16 comes to mind. I have read that in two different settings recently because it makes so much more sense to me in light of our current church experience. I asked one collection of people to listen prayerfully as I read slowly and then after a moment of silence asked them for feedback. A couple of responses that I remember: "destined" and "challenged". I'm struggling to mention any more, but it was a special connection for the group.
Your thoughts also take my mind back to Luke 10. Pairs of missionaries focused on a place that Jesus cared about. Mixing it up and getting their hands dirty doing what he had asked them to do. Then, Luke's story says they came back joyfully telling of their experiences. And Jesus responded to their stories, using these stories for further conversation and teaching.
ReplyDeleteOur practice of paying attention to what Jesus wants for a specific place and then obediently mixing it up in those places and living to tell about it--has pretty good biblical precedent.
Perhaps it's all about hearing and seeing - I certainly think so. This morning we were thinking about mission at CU where I work. I read Luke 10:1-12 and one person said, 'I've never seen that passage in that light before. I shall have to think hard about that'. Luke 10 is another of those 'often overlooked' passages.
ReplyDeleteUntil we begin to hear what Father is saying, and start to see the opportunities around us, there can be no missional element in our lives.