Monday, February 01, 2010
It is God who chooses
Something I took off the OWL blog, from Good News Reflections
The first Apostles were a mixed bunch. Some of them were already friends when they met Jesus. Some were brothers. And some were strangers. Some were old, some were young. They had varied educational backgrounds, some with credentials and some with none. They came from a wide range of professions, and they differed in their expectations of the Messiah. And yet, Jesus wanted them all to be part of the same community.
Whom has God placed in your life to surprise you? Who's seemingly too different from you to be included in your circle of Christian friends or in your ministry? Who's a companion for collaboration that you haven't relied upon because you prefer to do the work by yourself?
Also notice that Jesus never asked for the group's input when he invited a new person to join them. This is what makes Christian community interesting. It's the Lord who chooses the members – or it should be, and if we ever try to control who's in our circle of friends, we should give it up and put Jesus back in charge. Oh, and if he adds a Judas to your group, trust that there's a good reason for it. He knows what he's doing. Sure, it will lead to suffering, but only for a good cause.
God knows who should be in our lives. When we do the selecting, we end up in relationships that go sour and communities that fall apart. But when we find ourselves in the fellowship of people we would not have chosen, we can be sure it's Jesus who pulled us together. God has a sense of humor. The very people we try to avoid are often the ones we end up working with in Christian service!
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I thought this reflection was particularly appropriate as I looked back on my life in community as we celebrate our 5th year. It speaks of simple ideas - God's supreme plan in our community; acceptance of individuals; Christian love. Maybe it'll help your reflection too.
praise God for all that He has given.
Jess
It is God who chooses
Something I took off the OWL blog, from Good News Reflections
The first Apostles were a mixed bunch. Some of them were already friends when they met Jesus. Some were brothers. And some were strangers. Some were old, some were young. They had varied educational backgrounds, some with credentials and some with none. They came from a wide range of professions, and they differed in their expectations of the Messiah. And yet, Jesus wanted them all to be part of the same community.
Whom has God placed in your life to surprise you? Who's seemingly too different from you to be included in your circle of Christian friends or in your ministry? Who's a companion for collaboration that you haven't relied upon because you prefer to do the work by yourself?
Also notice that Jesus never asked for the group's input when he invited a new person to join them. This is what makes Christian community interesting. It's the Lord who chooses the members – or it should be, and if we ever try to control who's in our circle of friends, we should give it up and put Jesus back in charge. Oh, and if he adds a Judas to your group, trust that there's a good reason for it. He knows what he's doing. Sure, it will lead to suffering, but only for a good cause.
God knows who should be in our lives. When we do the selecting, we end up in relationships that go sour and communities that fall apart. But when we find ourselves in the fellowship of people we would not have chosen, we can be sure it's Jesus who pulled us together. God has a sense of humor. The very people we try to avoid are often the ones we end up working with in Christian service!
--
I thought this reflection was particularly appropriate as I looked back on my life in community as we celebrate our 5th year. It speaks of simple ideas - God's supreme plan in our community; acceptance of individuals; Christian love. Maybe it'll help your reflection too.
praise God for all that He has given.
Jess