The Church Is ____________.
Jubilee Fam,
The church is ___________________. Our goal in completing this statement is to think God’s thoughts after him. As we seek to elevate church our ecclesiology, the journey will take us into the Scriptures to see what the Triune God says about the church of His Beloved Son. It is revelation that renews the mind, all the more so since it is really easy for our experience to be the shaper of our conception of the church. Don’t get me wrong. We can’t get away from our experiences. We bring them each time we show up together to worship on a Sunday morning. Our church background is a blend of good and challenging experiences. And yet, our story with the church is not our primary teacher tasked with informing our ecclesiology.
This past Sunday, we learned from Scripture that the church is the household of God, the gathered people of the living God, the pillar and mainstay of the greatest truth imaginable about who Jesus is. We are God’s family who gathers with him in our midst as we hold up the truth of who Jesus is. What a remarkable aspect of the church to cherish in our hearts! What a powerful prayer request for the Lord to work this description of the church in us at Jubilee! What a goal to strive for together to be who we are!
I thank our good Father for the many ways I have seen and heard about you loving one another as a family. I am often grateful at the end of our time together on Sundays as we gather as God’s people with his presence manifestly experienced. I glorify our God for the ways that the truth of who Jesus is has been and continues to be, by grace alone, lifted high by you. We are not a perfect church…yet. There will always be opportunities for growth at Jubilee Community Church. We will get some things right and some things wrong. And yet, what a joy it is to be a part of the universal church that finds an embodiment in this local church called Jubilee! I hope you feel the same as we travel through our series on the church.
Last note. As a family, let’s set our hearts to learning together. Sunday school starts this weekend, and we are excited about the offerings of discipleship through education in the four available classes. Join us as we seek to grow in our knowledge of all the good things our Triune God has given us to learn as we seek to glorify the Father, the Son, and the Spirit together. If you are coming to the book discussion on Biblical Critical Theory, aim to read the forward, preface, and introduction for our time on Sunday (There is a link further down in this update that has the first 90 pages of the book). Oh! While typing this email, there are three copies of the book in the bookstall here at the church. They are 15 dollars!!! Yes, your eyes read that correctly! Fifteen 👏🏾 dollars 👏🏾!!
That is the lowest price you can find ANYWHERE (Much thanks to Ricky!!!).
Happy to be in the church,
Pastor Lew