Caution: Life Under Construction

The Bible uses a number of different analogies to describe The Church, such as a ‘body’ (1 Cor.12), a ‘garden’ (Isa.61:3, Jn.15:5), a ‘family’ (Jn.3:29, Rev.21:9), or a ‘building’ (2 Cor.5:1, Eph.2:21). All of these images illustrate multi-faceted growth, extension and adaptation, and all apply equally to The Church, any individual congregation or individual Christians.

I’ve always liked the slogan, “Please be patient. God hasn’t finished with me yet”. When a ‘lost soul’ finds Christ, there is a sense of completeness in that a void has been filled. But as we grow in Christ, there is another sort of sense of incompleteness, not like an emptiness that needs to be filled, but rather being called onward in constant improvement. As God is constantly revealing areas of our lives that are not ‘up to scratch’, we are challenged to renewal. As our lives encounter new experiences and situations, we are challenged to meet them like Christ, with love. We are called to stand firm against the wiles of the evil one, to malleably enfold the needy in loving service, and to be teachable in all things.

As Pastor Jack commences his interim ministry today, we welcome him as a fellow toiler in the vineyard of the Church, no more ‘interim’ than any of our lives. And together we look forward to continued growth of God’s Kingdom.

Please excuse any inconvenience; life under renewal: still open for service. Trust you are the same.

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