Tuesday, October 27, 2009

In the company of heroes...

Hebrews 12 starts with "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Most of us are familiar with these verses, and its context, chapter 11, which lists the 'heroes of faith.' The author of Hebrews references the amazing work of God through the lives of those listed.

A few of us were invited to the ECCC's "Alive" event this past weekend to share what and how we are doing here at Life Together. Sitting in the ballroom on Sunday morning, I was overwhelmed with the 'cloud of witnesses' that we in this conference are surrounded by. I was particularly moved during communion. We have access to the lives and stories of those same heroes listed in the scriptures. We have access to the lives and stories of other individuals and faith communities throughout history. What spoke to me during communion was the reality that we also have access to living heroes that are around us presently. What a blessing and an opportunity it is to be able to learn from and be formed by these three groups of heroes that have fixed their eyes on Jesus.

Today I have two hopes as we share life together in Life Together: first, that we will wisely access these hero resources in our lives and learn how they have allowed Christ to move their faith towards perfection. Second, that we will set healthy patterns and practices that will make room for Christ to move greatly in our lives. That we will help each other throw off hinderances, and remind each other that Jesus is the author.

jb

3 comments:

Trudy said...

hello jb! just discovered this blog. this is great!!! I love being able to read about how things are going in this totally new venture and how you're finding your groove. tm

Joel said...

TRUDY!

Great to have you reading.
Now we'll have much more pressure to write consistently. You're such a tyrant and impatient person that our currently lax system simply will not suffice.

Trudy said...

that's right, Joel. Keepin' you on your toes :)

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