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series: Core Values

title: two: communion

date: September 24, 2017

teacher: Jacob Bender

scriptures: 1 Corinthians 11:17-29, Exodus 12, Luke 22:15, Hebrews 12:2

In the days following the establishment of the church, there became something called “the agape” - or “the love feast” - and the best way I can think to describe it would, essentially the “meal” version of Acts 2:42-47 - which is the part of Acts that talks about how everyone shared with everyone… people would sell something to pay someone else’s bill… all people had all things in common… Because that was the closest way that they could come up with, to live LIKE JESUS.

So at “the agape” - Everyone would bring what they could to the meal… some would bring a LOT, others would bring just a little…. most likely there were others who would not be able to bring anything to the table, and yet, they were welcomed with open arms as part of the family…

Watch the clip "an imaginary sense of church" BELOW

in fact, people considered it a privilege to share this meal with one another.

it was a union of, as Acts puts it (Acts 2:44), people who have all things in common.

Even if to the rest of the world, it would seem like they had NOTHING IN COMMON.

it was a common Union.

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Character means that We live publicly like we do in private. We write the Word of God on our hearts, practice generosity, and prioritize integrity.

Commission means that we are a sending church. We honor the past, while we work for the future. And we always believe that everyone’s brightest days are ahead of them.

connection is living a life of constant community with God.

He is our supplier, who is as close to us as the air that we breathe.

conversation means that we bind and we loose together, we learn together, we serve together, and we grow together.

We welcome each other’s perspectives, and we depend on each other’s accountability.

collaboration is all of us working together to create something better than any of us could create on our own.

Contribution understands that everybody has a role, and there is room for us here. We know that the gifts we are given matter to the body of Christ, and we so seek to discover where we each fit.

We honor the contributions of others, knowing that God perfectly crafted each one of us, and only together are we truly the church.

Community is a body, committed to all its parts.

Compassion sees the world through the eyes of others, and it is stirred to action by what it sees. It can not sit by while injustice is done around it.

communion is a common union of broken people, who are made whole by the body and blood of Jesus Christ. We are united by our differences, and there is a seat for everyone at the table.

Courage goes to the places that nobody else wants to go, and works to create places that everybody wants to be. Courage loves the one who nobody else wants to love…

if you have no gauge on what is important, then you have no way to measure whether or not you are on the right track. That is what Core Values do… they keep us disciplined… they keep us on mission… they give us something the bounce whatever it is we are doing, off of, and see… IS THIS FURTHERING THE MISSION?

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