Blog
Blog
“All the believers
were together
and had
everything in common.”
Acts 2:44
Dear Remissioning Christians:
Dr. Christopher Bracket, National Director of Fresh Expressions, recently wrote an article that discussed the need for churches, pastors and members to “remission” themselves. His point was that, too often, churches are caught up in fine-tuning little changes that really do not cultivate the mission of the church. He implies that churches that are struggling to find new life frequently start by tinkering with tiny issues when, in reality, what they need is a renewed passion of Christ and God’s mission. While I value Dr. Bracket’s views, I want to assure you that this “remissioning” is nothing new.
Since the very beginning, the disciples of Christ have been called to go out to the villages and communities to be with people, sharing the good news of the love of God in Jesus. However, over time, these Christians established buildings and guidelines that became their sacred safe zones, guarded and cherished more than the very mission of Christ. We see in history, times like the reformation of the 1500’s and the great awakening of the 1700’s, when people rediscovered the passion for the mission of God’s love and grace. At those times, the Church didn’t just tinker with little changes but shook the very foundations of the faith. It was at those times that people rediscovered the Bible, the passion of Godly love, and the need to share the blessings of Jesus.
As Dr. Bracket points out, our world has reached that point of rediscovery again, when the body of Christ needs to not just tinker, but to “remission” in the passion for the love of Christ. In Lent, we will have opportunities to worship, renew our faith, and dwell in the prayer of Christ each Wednesday and to return to our core foundations. May you take this opportunity in this season of Lent to seek to “remission” your passion for God and rededicate your faith.
In the peace and grace of God,
Pastor Kirk Griffin