The U-Factor (under construction #5)

We've come to the end of our Under Construction series. Looking through 1 Peter and the culture of his readers we've understood a few things:

1. God's design for his church is to be his living and local presence in any and every culture throughout history
2. The church becomes the Sign of God's presence, the Sign-post of his future, and the Signature of his doing
3. The church is a community that lives among a culture, and by default rubs shoulder with the culture through relationships and meeting needs
4. As a result, God's church can grow in any culture it's planted in, though it might look different and vary in shape and size.

As we read some of Peter's final words to his churches spread out in these 1st century urban centers we found the glue that keeps this community together in the context of their difficult (marginalized, oppressed, persecuted, probably poorer than the mainstream) culture :

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8, cf. 1:22)

Think of a support beam for a house. The beam creates strength and support for the structure and the rest of the house. It keeps the wall, floors, and roof from slowly caving in.

Peter essentially calls this community to a deeply, committed and supportive love that requires effort, especially in the context they face daily. He calls them to become a support beam for each other, God's mission, and their role as God's living and local presence in their culture.

We highlighted 4 ways Christ followers are like support beams:

FOCUS: be clear minded, self-controlled... prepare your minds for action (4:7, 1:13)
Focus is a challenge in any culture where God's people are sent into. With all the stresses of life + the marginalization due to following Jesus against the main stream, focus is indispensable. Be focused on God, focused on the teachings of Jesus, focused on spiritual formation, focused on the cause of Jesus in the world, focused on your character among your culture.

PRAYER (4:7):
We admitted that we don't value prayer much; I can easily identify a few values in our church community: creativity, people, relationships, service... but honestly, prayer seems to take a lesser place. It's something we need to work on especially in a culture where mission is opposed on so many levels.

LOVE:
The kind of spiritual community Peter envisions is one of loving support, nurture, embrace, growth and challenge.
Covering a multitude of sins can be seen as being people with tough skin and soft hearts. A community that is NOT EASILY offended while EASILY forgiving one another. Imagine every relationship pursued this.

SERVICE:
Serving one another through words and actions is where Peter challenges next. We described it as (1) being a community that speaks into each other's lives (encouragement, challenge, comfort, direction) - this would mean confident and loving enough to speak... and humble and honest enough to listen. Then (2) serving one another in practical ways (care, support, needs, etc).

In some ways, Peter is hinting that a true spiritual house needs to be as loving to insiders as it is to outsiders. Often we can get heroic and serve the needs of the poor and marginalized, speak truth in some other person's life, be forgiving of a co-worker's wrong, or even the debt of a whole country... but then come into the church, reserving love for the world while giving less to each other. Imagine feeding the poor with homemade soup while giving your son frozen dinner - just doesn't make sense.

Closing thoughts:
The church is being built into a spiritual house, God's holy people, designed to be his living and local presence in the culture it is planted in (via any method or circumstance). It's strength will obviously be it's foundation - Jesus, the Living/Cornerstone Stone - but it's support beam is the people. We're not an association of people - like a bowling club - we're people in community. And community, even a community on mission, takes effort to build and remain united - loving each other deeply. (2:1-12, 4:8-11)
Jesus prayed for us (the church through history) that we'd be one as he and the Father were one... so that the world would believe that Jesus was sent by God. (John 17:20-23).
yoUnity: because unity within community requires you!

Our closing benediction this past Sunday and for the series:
Now, go into the world in peace, have courage;
include the excluded, strengthen the weak, help the suffering.
United in community,
be God's living and local presence, at all times, in all places.

Reflection:
Are you a person with tough skin? What easily offends you? What's the reason for it? How can you change in this area?
Are you a person with a soft heart? Do you struggle with forgiveness? If so, why?
Describe a community with tough skin and soft hearts.
Would you say you contribute to the support beam in your local church? If not, why?
How else can you contribute to the support beam of your local church?