When last were you asked “Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?”
I think we’re asking the wrong question. We should rather be asking… Can a person make this journey (of life) on your own?
The point is not so much do we need religion, but rather, do we need community.For St John’s the answer to that question is clear. We cannot do it on our own.We need community.On Sunday night we reflected on Luke 13:1-9.After being asked about whether God punishes sinful people, Jesus tells an interesting story about a Fig tree that was not bearing fruit.The land-owner wanted to cut it down, but the gardener pleaded for another year.Where is God in this story?Some people would assume that God is the land-owner asking of us “Are you bearing fruit?If not, I’ll cut you out.”I suggested that God is present in the story in the form of the Gardener.Jesus helps us to imagine a gardener-God, pleading our case, asking for another chance.
Yes, bearing fruit is important.But the community that we are seeking to build in Jesus name will be a fruit-bearing community that loves to stand alongside those who are still in the process of finding their way…We are the community that stands in solidarity with sinners because we are all too aware that we are sinners who are in need of grace.
I think it is great to belong to a community that can Love and provide support for sinners of all walks, and not too have to like the sin. My experience is that we too often forget that we are all sinners and that if we, as a community decide to work together we become far more tolerant of "different people", "different ideas" etc. I think it is an exciting time for St Johns and that we as a community are going to grow and help Port Elizabeth grow greatly! I look forward to a discussion on the forum regarding this topic. God Bless
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