The Grace of God

Written by Steve Barnes Saturday, 06 March 2010 05:21

Last weekend, I had a retreat on a nearby island in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia with several good men. What a time of refreshing and encouragement!

For years, I have searched for two things relationally:

a father figure / mentor
like minded men I can share my journey with

God has taught me over the years that He is primarily my father, and there is but one mediator between man and God, Christ Jesus. That means for me that I have had to learn to draw near to Him by myself. This has been long and at times difficult, but in the long run a really good thing. I now know and love Abba Father in ways I could perhaps never have if I had gravitated to earthly father figures. He has in recent times, however brought along more mature men I can relate to, and I really appreciate them.

The other deep desire in my heart has been to find like-minded mate-ship. I have looked for men who have no religious hang-ups, no airs and graces, no pride, no agendas, no worldly affections and lusts. Now that has been hard to find! Why is it that so many in church gravitate to power and position, parade themselves as something special, and try to load those less fortunate (or those who won't play religious games) with burdens.

I have found a group of good men! Well really, they found me. I was invited a few years ago now to talk to a group on a retreat about Christian manhood and organic church. Form the beginning I am sure I was more blessed than they! I became part of that group more or less immediately, and have been included in retreats several times now over the past two years.

What is it that makes meeting with these men so special? I'll number it off for you:

a real and deep love of Jesus Christ
a sincere valuing of the bond we share in Christ
a focus on what's important and what builds up "the body"
a recognition that "every joint supplies"
prayer times we all participate in and the Holy Spirit leads
submitting to one another in love as we build each other into maturity
an openness as we relate as "cracked vessels" letting Him be our light
want to be effective in His (spiritual) Kingdom

Oh and yes, on the other side of the coin:

not allowing differences in doctrine to separate us
no agendas, positions or power games

This most recent weekend away, I was privileged to meet not only the men I already knew and loved, but also some new ones. There were two men who were retired in a professional sense, but still looking to serve God. There were a few that had recently been through some rough and disgusting times, and we held them up in prayer as we should. There were a few that were doing really well in all aspects of life it seemed, and really “had it together”.

Pausing for a moment, I would like to explain that ever since becoming a Christian nearing thirty years ago, I have deeply wanted to serve Christ, but constantly felt constrained from doing so in the “normal”, professional mould. In recent years, I have received more encouragement as I have let Him grow my gifts and fruit, and as I have grown some grey hair! It has been confirmed by others that my gift and calling is that of an apostle. Still I have wondered how God would deal with those in established professional clergy roles, how I should interact with them, and how I am to work as an evolving “organic elder” (aka. ordinary Christian “good bloke” that others can come to for help, advice etc.) and an apostle of the Kingdom (spiritual, not organisational or institutional).

One conversation was thus of particular significance to me. I met an ex-pastor who had stepped down from his church and now works with his own hands to feed himself and his family. This man is now someone who can genuinely say “follow me, as I follow Christ” because he does the everyday life most of us find so challenging. We can't emulate the lifestyle of someone we pay to function is a religious, hierarchical position, lording over us and throwing us scraps from his “higher table”. They don't live a normal life. We need to see how someone lives the kind of life we live, so they can be am example and encouragement to us. These men can genuinely say “follow me, as I follow Christ”.

So I sat and chatted to this man. I asked him questions about his journey. I asked him his thoughts and opinions. I asked him how he sees the way forward. His answers were encouraging. Like me, he sees a love for the poor as being paramount if we are to follow Christ. He also sees a genuine need to focus on what joins us together in Christ so that every joint can supply and the body be built up in love. For him, this has meant choosing to love and work with some people he disagrees with doctrinally in order to serve God and build the Kingdom. He sees that everyone who is a disciple of Christ should be growing in grace and service to his or her Lord. He also is willing to serve as a member of a team, not seeking pre-eminence or authority. And lastly, as a companion of his stated, “church is meant to be messy”, and if we are to deal with the poor, the afflicted, the unwell, the ones who have been through mental or emotional trauma or the ones who suffer mental disorders like bi-polar, schizophrenia or depression, then we need to do so gently, valuing them as people and not placing onerous weight on them that would discourage them from fellowship.

In closing, I've come away from the retreat refreshed as usual. I have benefited from the grace given to my brothers as they poured it out on me, a cracked vessel. And importantly, I have been challenged by someone who can say “follow me, as I follow Christ”; challenged to walk in love, embracing all who believe as Ekklesia (the body) and spurred on to live not for myself, but for Christ. For me, this means further evaluating whether we now extend ourselves to obtain our own house again, or whether we place this “on the back-burner” and pursue active service in Ethiopia, The Solomon Islands and other places.

God help us to be real. God help us to be servants every day no matter where we are and what we are doing. God help us to be sheep and not goats.

God knows the world has seen enough of religion. God help us to be as Christ in this world.