It’s normal to look to other people to help you understand who you are. This is one of the primary reasons that relationships are so important. Martin Buber writes if there is no “you,” then there can be no “I.” In other words, if there is no one else, we have a difficult time understanding how we are similar and how we are the same. We learn more about ourselves by how we react and affect other people than we would by being constantly alone.
Being alone is a conversation of one and you can only know what you know – there is no other perspective or idea. The way we react when we are around other people can be both affirming and condemning. It can give us joy to be in the company of friends, but it can also trouble us if we seek too much approval or depend too much on their opinion than the Father’s.
But, even though people help us to understand more about ourselves, they are not perfect mirrors. They can help us to see, but their image is often distorted and incomplete. The reflection we see has got to be balanced and informed by the Father’s perspective. He sees us as “new creations” (II Corinthians
.GIF)
Posts
1 comment:
Bodie-
After reading your post here, I wanted to share with you what my husband and I just shared to our entire church in January. We just joined this church in November and have been involved with a church-plant it supports in Oaklawn (downtown Dallas), the epicenter for Gay, Lesbian and Transgender in Dallas (and I'm told our country). LOVE your blog. It's great to once again be encouraged by you through your words and thoughts.
xoxo Marisa
Knag Testimony Sunday 12/21
PETER:
Good morning…. My name is Peter and this is my wife Marisa.
We have the been given the opportunity this morning to spend a few minutes sharing our recent experiences working with the New Church Development Committee and, specifically, how our experience with a coffee shop on Oak Lawn Avenue called Urban Dog Coffee has opened our hearts and our minds to what we believe is God’s greatest commission and commandment to us.
We really have 2 messages today … the first is that there is a powerful missional business in the form of a coffee house that we / HPPC are supporting in Oak Lawn….
and the second is a short testimony of what God is teaching us and how he is revealing Himself to us daily as we become more obedient to his Word.
Our experience with the NCD committee has been a mutual discipleship for us. It has reminded us that we are called to be Christ like everyday …God calls us to be humble and serve others as He did…God loves people from every walk of life…and by following His lead by striving to see thing though His lense, we can come to know Him better.
Marisa and I moved from San Antonio, where we were members at FPC, to Dallas this past summer. Since our arrival to Dallas in August, we have been attending the Journey Sunday school class and have completed the new member class.
MARISA:
On our first Sunday at HPPC Brady Cottle came to the journey class and spoke of his ministry in the Oak Lawn community. Brady and his wife, Misty, are following a call to minister, disciple, and build relationships with people within the Oaklawn community.
Jesus was tugging at our hearts when Brady spoke to our Sunday school class about Urban Dog Coffee and their home-based ministry in Oaklawn, called Solomon’s Colonnade. What touched us most was how Brady spoke of Jesus’ ministry as it is revealed to us in Scripture…..how Jesus met, and continues to meet, people where they are. You are familiar with many of these examples: the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus healing the leper and the blind men on the road, and Zacchaeus the tax collector. Each of these were individuals cast away by from society, either by their sins or by birth. Jesus physically touched each of them and drew them near to Him, even as the crowds rebuked them.
Jesus met each of these people exactly where they were….at a well, on the road, in a tree even and revealed himself to them. After hearing Brady in our Sunday school class, we became involved in the New Church Development Committee and are now team leaders for this committee in support of Urban Dog Coffee. Peter and I feel strongly that Christ is leading us to build relationships as He did, by meeting people where they are in their lives.
PETER:
Over these past few months, God has been teaching us that He is present and will reveal Himself to us inside these church walls and also as we meet and build relationships with our neighbors. We are learning that through prayer, scripture, and humbly serving others as Jesus did, we can experience God and allow him to speak to us daily.
It is also our prayer and hope that others in our church community will join us as Marisa and I, and the NCD team seeks to serve the Dallas community. If you are interested in getting involved with NCD and ministries like Urban Dog Coffee, we would love for you to contact Kraig Kelly Director of …., or come talk with us! We would welcome the opportunity to share more of our experience with you.
Post a Comment