 |
| Photo by fauxels from Pexels |
I am typing out my answers to the questions in the Order of the Mustard Seed Guide. This exercise is based on a talk by Karl Martin, Senior Pastor of Central Church, Edinburgh.
The second OMS vow is to be 'kind to people.' This is not a solitary way of life. It is a relational, hospitable, generous, and inclusive one. My table therefore represents the space in which I welcome those individuals given by the Lord to love me and to be loved by me, to grow me and to be grown by me. We live this adventure together as family. I am called to make space at my table for the interruption of unexpected guests; those sent to give and receive blessing. Every life echoes with three great sermons: the family I have loved, the friendships I have nurtured, and the words I have spoken. Our words only carry weight if we have participated generously in community. (p. 76-77)
Koinonia is a Greek word in Acts 2 "having all things in common." It is stewardship over ownership, inclusion over exclusion, and radical community that looks like family.
QUESTIONS FOR THE TABLE:
What people is God asking me to gather around my table? Do they know how important they are to me?
I think God is asking me to gather the people in the Seed Community around our table and friends we have known for years. But I also consider our "table" a virtual one as we mentor three young, married couples on a monthly basis. I also gather people in "soul hospitality" through my ministry of spiritual direction. I think most know how important they are.
Do I need to make more space in my heart and my schedule for interruption and hospitality?
I am laughing at this question because I was SO excited about having a Friday and Saturday with absolutely NO commitments (a rare occurrence), and then a friend texted, "Hey, I am going to be in town. Can I come by and visit on Friday," and another text came in with an invitation to a birthday barbeque on Saturday. Oh well, there goes those two free days. We had my friend for dinner last night, and it was delightful. I always have to find the balance between space in my heart for interruptions and the need to say, "No," to get some special projects done (setting up my podcast interviews, developing abiding resources for my agency, etc.). So there is always a tricky balance for me, but I thought it important to make room for my friend of 43 years! I need to listen to God's will for me. He knows the right balance.
I do miss having more people physically around our table! We have had NINE visitors since January. That is because of COVID, but more and more people seem to be loosening up on this score. One year, I had everyone who came to our home sign our guest book: 300 people! I miss this.
Have I extended an invitation to any more mature Christian to come sit at my table and challenge my life? Who am I discipling?
We have been more intentional about having dinner with the Ws. They are more mature, and we are both involved with ministry to people younger than us. So that helps us. I do miss the more mature Christians in my life like Ginny and Lorraine. I also loved having some of the Perspectives speakers staying here overnight. That was wonderful. I want to pray for more mature people to sit here, but many have died. I do try to keep myself challenged through things like the Imago Christi Discovery Event that I am going through right now. I am with more mature peers in my small group (even though I am leading it). (Update: I totally forgot to include my spiritual director, Fran, as a mature believer I meet with monthly!)
Well, who am I discipling? I have a pink sticky on my computer that says, "Eternal Investment." This was an application from a Discovery Bible Study we did with our Seed Community last Sunday on Matthew 6:19-24 about laying up treasures in heaven. This was after (or was it before?) one of the women in the group making a prophetic word over George and me about how much we have poured into so many people, and I looked around the room, and people were nodding, and I realized most of the people in that room were people we have poured into, but I just think of them as just dear family. So I don't think about how much I have poured, but about God pouring into me, and then effortlessly pouring into others. But it has been a 40 year "second-order" calling to companion people in their journey. Now, the more popular thing to call it is spiritual direction, but my first training was in discipling. So, while there are differences between the two, there is also overlap. So I am using the question, "Who am I discipling?" interchangeably with "Who am I companioning?"
With that sticky "eternal investment" staring me in the face all week, I realized that the list is long of who I am discipling/companioning. The question for me is one of discernment between who is good, better, and best to invest in at this stage. I said, "Yes" to someone last week, but George questioned this. I have a hard time discerning because so many people are in my "Circle of Concern," but fewer people are in my "Circle of Influence" (using Stephen Covey's language here). It is also that "Principle of Selection" that I learned in the Navigators, and a former mentor, Helene Ashker, emphasized to me. I think this person is a leader and in my Circle of Concern, and time will tell if that person should be in my Circle of Influence. I see potential. I do think I am at my limit for who I can meet with, especially while I am teaching Pilates during the school year.
The whole "TABLE" discussion here is perfectly timed with the discussion in the Imago Christi Discovery Event about Spiritual Formation in community rather than alone. The homework was listening to a talk by Henri Nouwen on Communion, Community, Ministry (I am not sure if I am allowed to share our homework as it might be copyrighted by Imago Christi. So this is an article that summarizes it. There is also a YouTube video that encapsulates it: https://youtu.be/XLNaX7WeSnM ) that totally goes along with all of this. Not new concepts, but it is always great to have them reinforced.
I love how God confirms things, even to the point of my meditation with the OMS Prayer Watch being in Psalm 133 about brothers dwelling together in unity right before we had our Imago Christi session.
I think the main thing for me is finding a group that challenges me. E said something a couple of months ago that said as much. Praying about this.
No comments:
Post a Comment