We, Not Just Me
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
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Scripture
Acts 2:42 – 47
Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. Read more…
Ephesians 2:13 – 15
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Read more…
Romans 12:1 – 5
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
One of my favourite rites in the Baptist tradition is the child dedication. At some point after the birth of a child,[1] parents stand before the church family and declare their dependence on God to guide and nurture their child. They promise to teach their child the Christian faith and, through prayer and their own example, lead their child to one day consider making their own commitment of personal faith in God through Jesus. But that’s not all. This rite isn’t just about the parents and their child, it’s about the whole church family. Not only does the church family witness the parents’ commitments, but they also promise to help the parents keep those commitments. They declare their responsibility to love, teach, and pray for the child in partnership with the parents.
The reason this is one of my favourite rites, besides the children themselves, is that it’s such a beautiful portrait of what the church is supposed to be. It’s a testament to the church as family – as a place of belonging. As I was thinking about child dedications, I also started thinking about weddings. In a wedding, the central moment is the exchange of vows between the couple. These are the promises the couple makes about how their life will be and how they’ll treat each other. I started thinking how great it would be if, just like with a child dedication, there was a moment in a wedding during which a couple’s church family would similarly declare their commitment to help the couple keep their vows by loving them, praying for them, and teaching them.
The church was never intended to be a simple gathering of individual Christians for the purposes of worship, learning, and food. The church was intended to be a family – people who belong to each other, are responsible for each other, and are committed to loving each other. Imagine if every time you headed to work or went on vacation or were laid up sick at home, you knew your church was praying for you and finding tangible ways to support you. Imagine if the people of your church knew what you do between Sundays and checked in with you to find out how you’re managing and how they can best care for you.
This week, the chapter of our book we’re reading is titled We, Not Just Me.[2] In it, the author identifies the importance of recognizing that evangelism is something we do together; it’s not meant to be simply an individual event; it’s meant to draw someone into the church as a place of belonging in which they may encounter God and be nurtured in faith. What would it be like if our church were truly a place of belonging, not just because one or two people make it such, but because we are all committed to creating that kind of place? What if we all recognized our essentialness to the church as a place of belonging through which people may encounter God and be nurtured in their faith? How do you fit? What do you bring? What do you need from others in order to experience belonging in the church? As you prepare for Sunday, perhaps spend some time consider your answers to these questions.
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[1] There is no time limit for this rite. Sometimes parents bring their very young babies and sometimes children are well past the baby phase of life. The point is not the age of the child, but the commitments made by the parents.
[2] Craig Springer. How to Revive Evangelism. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Reflective, 2021), 131-153.