God's multi-generational church
Daily Scripture
Ephesians 2:4-7
4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
“God is rich in mercy.” “You are saved by God’s grace.” That was the beating heart of our faith, said the letter to the Ephesians. God saved us FROM a broken, self-seeking way of life. But that wasn’t the end of the story; it was just the beginning. What Jesus called “the kingdom of God” aims to restore not just individuals, but this whole broken world to God-given wholeness. God didn’t save any of us just to do something nice for us. If in fact “God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace,” then a part of our response to God’s grace must surely be to thoughtfully aim to leave a legacy that plays a role in showing future generations how good God has been to us.
- John Wesley, Methodism’s founder, applied Ephesians 2 to everyday life in his “second general rule”: “By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all men.” Sometimes we feel as though we are just getting by day-to-day. Let Wesley’s phrase “doing good of every possible sort” spark your creativity. What new sorts of goodness, not just for the present but for future generations, might God be nudging you to consider making a part of your life and planning? What might you do during the remainder of 2022 to “pay forward” the grace and love God has poured into your life?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for all that you have saved me from. Guide me day by day into a way of living that honors and carries out the purposes you saved me for, now and in the future. Amen
GPS Insights
Rebeca Chow
We come into the world wired for connection, which means our brain and internal systems are consistently looking for signals of safety and regulation. God wired our brains not only to connect, but to find strength in the connections we form with each other. In other words, our biology responds to the happiness of other people with whom we are connected. A sense of belonging to a group, especially a church community, and having things in common with fellow members bring satisfaction to life and have great impact on our mental health and well-being.
Creating opportunities for connection with others during fellowship can help us gain safety and interact with each other regardless of our generational differences. Simple awareness practices can lead to the creation of sustaining connections that will help us navigate healthy learning habits.
Take a few moments to think: where are the places, what are the experiences, and who are the people that nourish my soul? Also, identify what you want in a church community: who would you like to invite into connection? what does interacting with others look like in my church community? how do moments of shared stillness fit into my connection with others?
