Kia ora whaanau,
Our good friend Mike introduced a conversation around morality on Sunday. I love the imagery he left with us around an invitation and participation. How God invites all into his family, and when we accept the invite, responsibilities exist as being part of the family. Not doing the dishes at your partners parents place grows old very fast.
I know there have been some great conversations this week at Raranga, and I think we need to continue to explore elements together. We aren't very good and making great decisions in isolation, we need each other. I remember when I was a high school student I had a new testament bible in my shirt pocket, I would read it on the way to and from school on the bus, so a couple of hours of reading every day. But I was not in a community of believers, there was no collective wisdom, no challenge to my thinking or behaviour. So despite a personal desire to honour God, I ended up making terrible decisions around relationships, drugs and alcohol. We need each other to navigate life well.
I firmly believe that God calls us to be different, the bible uses a range of language to articulate this. We are to be known for our fruit, a light on a hill, salt, in the world but not of it, and in this difference he calls us to a standard, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Leviticus 19:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 John (the lot) 3:6. As Mike spoke around the bounded and centred sets, I thought of the old story around farming, and how in Australia there are few fences on the massive stations, but animals don't just wander off and die. A watering hole exists (the source of life) that each animal knows it needs to be close too, so they don't wander off. For us to be healthy, not malnourished or thirsty, we need to be close to our life source, and as we are near to God we are transformed.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
17 Na, ko te Ariki, ko te Wairua ia; ko te wahi i noho ai te Wairua o te Ariki, kei reira te tikanga herekore. 18 Ko tatou katoa ia kahore he hipoki mo te mata, e whakaahua ana i te kororia o te Atua, ano kei roto i te whakaata, a e whakaputaia ketia ana kia rite ki taua ahua ano, he kororia hono iho ki te kororia, i runga i ta te Wairua o te Ariki.
Have a fabulous week and continue the korero.
Ngaa Mihi
Andy
Our good friend Mike introduced a conversation around morality on Sunday. I love the imagery he left with us around an invitation and participation. How God invites all into his family, and when we accept the invite, responsibilities exist as being part of the family. Not doing the dishes at your partners parents place grows old very fast.
I know there have been some great conversations this week at Raranga, and I think we need to continue to explore elements together. We aren't very good and making great decisions in isolation, we need each other. I remember when I was a high school student I had a new testament bible in my shirt pocket, I would read it on the way to and from school on the bus, so a couple of hours of reading every day. But I was not in a community of believers, there was no collective wisdom, no challenge to my thinking or behaviour. So despite a personal desire to honour God, I ended up making terrible decisions around relationships, drugs and alcohol. We need each other to navigate life well.
I firmly believe that God calls us to be different, the bible uses a range of language to articulate this. We are to be known for our fruit, a light on a hill, salt, in the world but not of it, and in this difference he calls us to a standard, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Leviticus 19:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 John (the lot) 3:6. As Mike spoke around the bounded and centred sets, I thought of the old story around farming, and how in Australia there are few fences on the massive stations, but animals don't just wander off and die. A watering hole exists (the source of life) that each animal knows it needs to be close too, so they don't wander off. For us to be healthy, not malnourished or thirsty, we need to be close to our life source, and as we are near to God we are transformed.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
17 Na, ko te Ariki, ko te Wairua ia; ko te wahi i noho ai te Wairua o te Ariki, kei reira te tikanga herekore. 18 Ko tatou katoa ia kahore he hipoki mo te mata, e whakaahua ana i te kororia o te Atua, ano kei roto i te whakaata, a e whakaputaia ketia ana kia rite ki taua ahua ano, he kororia hono iho ki te kororia, i runga i ta te Wairua o te Ariki.
Have a fabulous week and continue the korero.
Ngaa Mihi
Andy