Church Planting and Spiritual Formation - this talk was given by Katherine Robinson at our latest gathering at the McNabb's house.
It is very easy in the midst of a church plant, “doing” the great commission, to get excited about and caught up in building a church and forget to build up one another. You don’t have to talk to Bishop Lowenfield or Perry Koon for very long to realize their deep commitment to helping the parishioners of the Western Gulf Coast Diocese live transformed, fruitful lives. So, if the “teaching them to do all I commanded” part of the Great Commission is to be an integral part of this church in Dripping Springs, it is essential that we begin now among one another. As we look out for one another's spiritual well-being and build an authentic, prayerful community of believers, we will naturally be winsome witnesses to the Good News we want to share with the residents in this area.
All of that is fine, but it, of course, begs the “Yes, but how?” question. Where DO we start?
I think where Jesus started might be the best place – He seemed to know what He was doing. ☺ (When all else fails, imitate Christ, right?!) It may take some of you by surprise that the Kingdom of God was His favorite topic of teaching and conversation. He began there in his opening proclamation (Mark 1:14) and his last opportunities to speak before He ascended were on that very subject, as Luke tells us in Acts 1. As the early church begins, we see the disciples learning what it meant to be “Kingdom Dwellers” so to speak – reigning with God in His Kingdom on earth in the Power of the Holy Spirit – living the kingdom Life Jesus had demonstrated to them.
Paul expressed it beautifully in Athens when he said (Acts 17: 24…28) “The God who made the world and everything in it, He who is Lord of heaven and earth… is not far from each one of us. For “’In Him we live and move and have our being.’”
So as a starting point for us church planters, I want each of us to consider what it means to live in the kingdom of God at hand – both personally, AND as we seek to gain a beachhead for the Kingdom here in Dripping Springs.
In our material world with its high demands and sensory overload, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we are primarily spiritual beings – designed to live in His Kingdom as beloved children of the King. So I am going to give you some homework – no panic, it is totally voluntary and there are no quizzes, tests or papers due. I want to offer you two things to do, “exercises” if you will, for the encouragement of your souls before we meet again:
First – you can reflect on Jesus’s proclamation in Mark 1:14. Just simply chew on it for the next week or two. [For the over-achievers among us you can also think about Paul’s words in Acts 17:24 – 28 and if you really want to get carried away, you can read all the Gospels and see how many times Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven]
Secondly (and this is the REALY fun one)– to raise our awareness of the pervasive Presence of God and His Kingdom, see how many times these next two weeks you can notice “goodness”. [you over-achievers can do this daily and even write them all down if you want!] I think we all probably agree that God is the source of all that is good. So, see how often you can see things that are good – a kind act, a smile, beauty of any sort, evil being overcome by good (even if it is you doing it). No matter how small it seems, it counts!
It is my desire, that as our awareness of the goodness around us grows, we will grow more conscious of the Presence of God and His Kingdom since God is the source of all the good we have noticed. If it is only for your own encouragement, that is fine. But I anticipate this will have a way of encouraging others too.
We are all at different places along our journey toward God. So for some of you, this may be very elementary and simply serve as a reminder. For others, the idea of the very real Presence of God, living a ‘with-God’ life in His Kingdom right now, might be a new or even radical idea. No matter what your starting point is, I hope your soul is nourished by engaging with it.
Blessings,
Katherine Robinson
Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Dripping Springs, contact Fr. Perry Koon about our next gathering in Dripping Springs on June 17.
Blessings,
Perry+