Friday 27 October 2017
- Bible Book:
- Hebrews
“Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith … Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.” (vv. 22-23)
Psalm: Psalm 111
Background
At the time of writing, I am in the midst of preparations for atoddler's birthday party. Invitations, cake, balloons and gifts areall in cupboards ready to be sent out. It is an apt surrounding inwhich to read today's passage.
These verses are ones of invitation. Imagine them quilled onthick parchment, your name glistening in petrol-blue ink, indeliblyscrawled at the top. You are invited. Come. Just as you are. Comeand worship. Come and join this community of misfits and try-hards.Come and shape your life around Christ and within this community.Come and share your brokenness with the one who brings wholeness.Come and worship together in ways you love and in some ways youdon't - but regardless, come and join in the heavenly party.
Like all good parties, let's not do this alone. The invitationis to join a community of people, not just an individual pursuit ofmindfulness or goodness. The invitation has come at a cost and doesnot come without its challenge. Let us meet together. Let usencourage each other. Let us spur each other towards deeper andmore world-changing love.
In a world where there are so many pulls on our time and so manyresponsibilities we hold just to keep the 'show on the road', thispassage inspires prophetic action: a desire to move towards aJesus-centred community - rather than an individualistic pursuit sooften preferred in our day-to-day culture. Grace is offered to all- corporately as well as personally. Our response, too, needs to beboth corporate and personal.
To Ponder
- Who can you encourage someone today? What will you do tocelebrate them?
- What have you been invited to recently, and what can you say'yes' to?
- Who can you invite to worship in the coming fewweeks?