Being Citizens
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14b-6:2
14 We are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. Read more…
Service Notes:
There was no sermon this week. Instead in addition to Communion, a number of people shared their reflections on the Kingdom of God. Among those reflections was this video of The Blessing, which shows people from around the world, all of whom have been affected by this time in history, all worshiping Jesus and declaring that “He is with you” and “He is for you.” In the words of one of our members, “Seeing fellow citizens of God’s kingdom is affirming – we are still here; His kingdom is still here. And we will be celebrating Jesus together for eternity…in the now, and in the not-yet.
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
Sunday marks the end of our most recent series of sermons. In case you missed it, for the last few months we’ve been talking a lot about the kingdom of God. We recognized the tension between the now-ness and the not-yet-ness of that kingdom. We looked to Jesus, the embodiment of God’s kingdom, and imagined the church as the people who are called to continue Jesus’ mission in the world. On Sunday we’ll be experiencing a number of people’s reflections on the kingdom of God. These reflections will be visual, written/spoken, and musical. We’ll also be sharing Communion with each other. A word of warning, though: Even though this Sunday marks the end of a specific series of sermons, it will not be the last we hear of God’s kingdom. That’s because God’s kingdom – it’s presence, God’s invitation to us to be citizens in that kingdom, and all that citizenship entails for us who are the church – is Jesus’ gospel and our mission.
As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you to reflect on the person of Jesus. What do His behaviour and His words tell you about God’s kingdom. What do you picture when you imagine Jesus’ eventual return? Where do you see God’s kingdom already manifested in the world around you? What does the reality of God’s kingdom ask of you? How does what you know about the kingdom of God inform your mission in the world?
Also, as you prepare for Sunday, don’t forget to plan ahead for Communion. We traditionally use bread and grape juice, representing the body and blood of Jesus, but if you don’t have those, feel free to replace them with whatever elements are meaningful for you.