Living Faithfully in the Mess (Longer Conversation)
Order, Risk, and the Call to Follow Christ
Psalm 13
Asking for Relief, Now
Plea for Answer and Help
Trust and Praise During Sorrow
Our Instincts
When uncertainty or discomfort arises in the church, what do I reach for first?
- structure?
- process?
- a meeting?
- more information?
- delay?
- other?
Where do I feel most faithful:
- when things are orderly?
- or when things are unresolved?
What kinds of mess make me most uncomfortable?
- conflict
- grief
- financial risk
- social or political tension
- uncertainty about outcomes
Of these questions, which was hardest to answer honestly?
Our Meetings and Our Faithfulness
What do our meetings do well?
What do they protect us from?
When have our processes helped us live out the gospel?
When might they have helped us avoid risk or discomfort?
How often do our meetings talk about ministry, study it, plan for it, but hesitate to send, bless, or commission people for it?
What would change if we measured faithfulness not by how orderly our meetings are, but by how willing we are to be changed individually and as a Christian community?
Staying with the Cross
When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and handed over his spirit.
John 19:30
When we hear “It is finished,” what do we assume is resolved?
What remains unfinished at the cross?
- injustice
- grief
- fear
- confusion
- broken relationships
- other
Between the cross and the resurrection, there is silence, waiting, and uncertainty.
- Where are we uncomfortable staying in that space?
- How quickly do we want resolution?
- What if God’s saving work does not remove us from the mess, but places God within I–and then sounds us back to it?
How often do our meetings talk about ministry, study it, plan for it, but hesitate to send, bless, or commission people for it?
Living the Gospel Together
If we truly trusted that ministry happens within the mess:
- What might we do less of?
- What might we risk more readily?
- Where might we need to loosen our grip on control in order to be faithful?
- What is one small practice our leadership could try that would help us stay longer with discomfort, resist premature solutions, or create more space for honesty and vulnerability?
Scripture on this page is from The Shared Word Translation (SWT), an ongoing translation project within ChurchCommons.org.