Living in Community

This past Sunday, the first Sunday of Lent, we began a sermon series concerned with how we live together in the church, entitled The Redeemed Community. The intent of this series is to explore the values and rhythms of the community of faith known as the Church. We began by examining the temptations of our Lord and considering how we are tempted, in principle, in the same manner as Christ. Considering that a very large issue in our culture today, if not the most important, is the issue of identity, it is understandable that there is a real temptation to satisfy our own needs, to secure our own power, and to create our own identity and purpose. This should not surprise us since we are tempted to drop back into those familiar rhythms on a continual basis.

This week, we will be examining the practice of forgiveness within the community of faith. Paul commands the disciples in Ephesus to leave their old way of life (Ephesian 4:17-19), with all of its intimate rhythms and practices, and adopt a new way of life (4:22-24). Forgiving one another within the community is of vital importance. In fact, it is a marker of maturity and growth. Forgiveness considers the needs of the other person ahead of our own needs and challenges us to lay aside what we want and put the needs of others ahead of our own. The Apostle John records an illustrative story of the forgiveness and restoration of Peter who had disowned and abandoned Jesus in his hour of greatest need. John documents that Jesus not only forgives Peter, but restores him and commissions him to live in light of that forgiveness. This week, we will look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and his exhortation to forgive as a sign of the work of the Spirit in our lives.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Adam Thornton