New Perspective: One Another

I bragged in the last post of a seamless "perfect" transition that was in the works for the blog. That was a month ago and you may be thinking that a transition usually leads to something new. I obviously need to learn not to brag because my follow-through is lacking.

Before the transition resumes and we actually get caught up, I'll remind you to open another web window and listen to some of the songs we'll be doing in worship in the coming weeks on Youtube... that's what I am doing as I write. Bebo Norman's Nothing Without You; Jesus Messiah, Holy is the Lord God, and Give Us Clean Hands all by Chris Tomlin, and Our God Reigns by Brandon Heath. Listen along so you can sing aloud!

A number of weeks ago our theme in worship flowed from the truth that we NEED one another. 1 Corinthians moves us away from thinking about our relationships solely in terms of what we want. We need some relationships that we may not want. We need some people close to use that we may not want close to us. People who tell us the truth that we deny with every ounce of our energy. People who help us do things that we cannot do reminding us of our weaknesses. People who clean up our mistakes. People who tell us to get up off the couch when we are too content and people who put us back on the right road when we have lost our way. We have a NEED for people that transcends the question of whether we WANT them around. Paul gives a great line in 1 Corinthians 12:21 reminding us that we do not have the power or the ability to say to one another "A need for you I am not having!"

Throughout the first year of Crosspointe's ministry this has been a major goal of mine: to help worshipers not only meet new people and begin getting to know one another, but also to help you see a need for one another, to see that those around you have something to offer to you that you need and that you have something to give to them that they need, to see that the people who join with you to become a church are a gift from God and that He is purposefully connecting people together to fulfill His mission. In 1 Corinthians 12 this is the message of verse 18; God is arranging the members of His body (the people of the church), each as He choses. As we begin the move as a new church toward talking about membership and what it means to be a member of a church it's good to remember that it's less about "me" choosing Crosspointe as the place I "want" to worship and it's much more about God choosing "me" (fill in your name) to put at Crosspointe to be connected with others so that I can contribute my needed part to our collective effort to impact lives with the love of Jesus Christ.