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In touch

Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues

We can do this

Created for community (Genesis 1:27 and 2:18), to form community in partnership with the divine community (Matthew 20:19).

Context

As human beings we have been created as relational beings to be in community with one another. We thrive through relationships but sadly many find themselves diminished through an epidemic of loneliness.

• On Trinity Sunday we often wrestle with the mysterious truth of 1 in 3 and 3 in 1 conjuring up ever more clever analogies to explain how one can be three and three can be one. Perhaps we need to return to the core biblical revelation that God is Love and expresses this love in community and in this offering of a vision for healthy humanity.
• As the world began to emerge from the forced isolation of Covid the Financial Times asked ’Are we ready for the approaching loneliness epidemic?’ The question has only got stronger.
• Loneliness can have profound consequences.
• When the love of God is shared and true community is formed there can be a profound sense of release and healing for those most lonely. A superb example of such community is Zac’s Place in Swansea.

 

Ideas for sermons or interactive talks

• ‘Who can understand the mysterious Trinity?’ St Augustine once cried in despair. As noted above perhaps we need to forget the clever analogies and illustrations and just relax in the mystery of the Divine Community of Love and focus on those two key words; community and love. When we do so we begin to think yes, we (the community of followers of Jesus) can do this – i.e. live out fruitfully the Great Commission.
• In his seminal book Discipleship, David Watson said this about the first Christian Community as presented by Luke in Acts 2:42-47; ‘it is not surprising with such a community of disciples bound together in love that God added to their number, day by day those who were being saved.’ (David Watson, Discipleship, p37.) Here again we see the inextricable link between loving community and fruitful mission.

• Both during the heights of the Covid pandemic and the peak of gas and electricity prices, many churches found how valued their offer of hospitality and welcome was to people in the wider community (through ventures such as vaccination centres and warm spaces). You may wish to reflect on this, share examples of good practice and offer suggestions of what else could be offered to counter loneliness going forward. And as you do, keep asking how do these examples of love in action open the possibility of people discerning the God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – who is the essence of this love?
• Two groups of people for whom loneliness can be especially acute, and for whom community can be so transformative, are those who have been bereaved and families among whom there are members with learning difficulties. You may wish to explore these in particular.

 

Questions for discussion

• How do you understand the mystery of the Trinity? Is focussing on love and community helpful?
• How have you observed or experienced the epidemic of loneliness?
• What might you do to provide those who are lonely with an authentic experience of Christian Community? (Do think through how this can be done in homes and other community spaces as well as on church premises).
• How do you feel when you read the ‘Great Commission’ (Matthew 28:19)? Please be honest!
• Missiologists suggest when it comes to making disciples the most fruitful process these days is one that begins with blessing, that encourages belonging, that leads to believing. Is this helpful? If so, what might you do as a Christian community to bless the wider community?

Andrew Roberts is a husband, father, Methodist Minister and the author of Holy Habits. He was once the lead model in Clergy on the Catwalk and won the Faster Pastor stock car race for members of the clergy.

 

Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

This weekend marks the start of the second half term of the summer - the final half term of the school year. For many of our young people, they will find themselves in the middle of exam season. For others, eyes turn to the next stage of their life: preparations for transition to secondary school; change of class and year group; the end of formal education. The summer term invariably holds an air of adventure, the sense that something big may be just around the corner.

This week’s passage reminds us that we are all invited on an adventure: an invitation to join God’s adventure, one that is not dependent upon dates in the calendar or big events in the course of our lives but one that can run throughout every day of our lives. Jesus called his disciples to join the adventure and take his story out across the world. He invites us to take our place in that same adventure, taking God’s story into every place we inhabit, sharing God’s good news with everyone we meet along our way.

Becky May is Founder of The Resources Cupboard.

Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by ROOTS for Churches Ltd.

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