Being the Hands and Feet

Over the past few weeks or so I have picked up a book that has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while.

I initially read it about 5 years ago, but it is proving quite pertinent in these days; as churches grapple with the sudden surge of digital use and technological activity online, but also for our individual setting as Annette and I start reimagining what the Corps could look like post Covid.

Taking into account the amount of change that has in one way or another been thrust upon us as we navigate what church and Corps life looks like today and into the future – it will no doubt prove to be a useful resource for us all going forward, as well as the church universal.

The name of the book is “rewired” and explores ‘how using today’s technology can bring you back to deeper relationships, real conversations, and the age-old methods of sharing God’s love’, written by Brandon Cox.

On the back cover it says:

“If God’s desire to enlarge His family matters… If the church of the future matters… If the gospel still matters… We must embrace the changes that are happening in our world.“

If you haven’t read it, it is well worth a read 🙂

Within its pages are a number of pearls of wisdom that were not only relevant about 6 years ago when the book was written, but even more so today. An example of which follows; 

Jesus is one of the world’s best-known brands. More than half the world knows HIs story to one degree or another…. you too have a brand whether you realize it or not, and your brand reflects Jesus. The church also has a brand – a story people tell about it. In western culture the brand of Jesus is maintaining pretty well, but the brand of church is suffering. Since God desires to bring people to Jesus through the context of the church, this is a problem for our mission.

Artie Davis wrote in his book Craveable that when someone introduces themselves as a Christian, what goes through the mind of a person outside the kingdom is often something like this: “Before me stands a judgmental, mean, ignorant, and intolerant person. Why should I listen to anything they have to say?” People perceive that the church has lost its way in the light of public scandals, personal rejection, and spiritual abuse. Our brand is hurting.

It is not possible to concoct a story about the church that is better than what people actually experience in the real world, but it is possible to tell the right stories and to tell them well. Part of flooding the online space with God’s glory and with the gospel of Jesus is making sure the gospel is given a great deal of attention next to all the other stories being told. This has been our mission since the beginning, and we now have more tools than ever for getting it done.

Dare I say it that this is just as true in our local Corps and church settings – not just in the ‘online space’ as we try to dispel the bad news stories that people have heard, or experienced for themselves. 

Unfortunately this is often due to the bad examples of Christian behaviour which they have seen or heard for themselves which has unwittingly pushed them away from church and from growing in their knowledge of God. But that is another issue altogether 😦

Brandon goes on to write;

If the story people associate with the church as God’s people is to become a more positive one, it has to begin with our showing genuine love to one another and to the people living in the proximity to us. Right now I sense another potential great awakening for the church that is less about creeds and more about deeds. Church leaders are pressing forward with their congregations to show the gospel and to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. This is all good, and social media gives us the opportunity to share this story well.

For us as The Salvation Army Wellington City our mission statement is: “to bring life and hope to the inner city of Wellington” – How are we going about this?

Are we being the hands and feet of Jesus? Or are we leaving it up to others to do? Are we being a good example of what it means to be Christ-like? Or are we opinionated, judgmental, mean, ignorant, and intolerant? Are we welcoming and inviting people to join us on the journey of faith? Or are we scaring them off before they even get an opportunity to meet with Jesus?

Only you can answer those questions for yourself – but we need to be aware that our actions and our words can have a devastating effect on the potential spiritual life of others.

We need to take on board the advise of Paul in Romans; “Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is.” Romans 14:13 (The Message)

And also when he was speaking to the church of Corinth saying that “we must destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.” 2 Corinthians 10:5a (New Living Translation)

So, may we each go into the coming week with that thought percolating in our minds and our heart as we interact with others – for we don’t want to be driving a wedge between them and God through our words and or actions – we want to be bringing life and hope to all those that we come across.

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

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