November 23

Day 254: Going Forward

I've been on the phone this morning, from the moment I first got up. All of these calls were helpful and encouraging.

I have a couple of Alaska-wide or network-wide homework assignments, and I've been gathering research in the form of intellectual capital (and some helpful PDF's) from others shared with me. In other words, I am trying to gather some key learnings, some best practices, and priorities going forward, before I write up anything.

Oddly enough, I read in First John just now, and see some overlap. I John 1:6-7 says, "If we say we have fellowship with him [God the Father] while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

It's fair to say that everyone I've talked with by phone this morning is walking in the light. They each have fellowship with God. It shows in how they communicate their learnings and priorities.

But it does raise a question. If "walking in the light" is an intended synonym for "fellowship with God," then what do either/both really mean? We may want that, for sure, but how and when will any of us know if/when we have that going on?

Charles Spurgeon (19th century super preacher) describes it this way: We have fellowship with Him in His love. What He loves, we love. He loves the saints, the sinners, the perishing human race, all of creation. And so do we.

We have fellowship with Him in what He hates. Sin. God hates sin for what sin causes. Separation and death. We agree with God when we also hate sin; sin in ourselves the right place to start. We will distance ourselves from sin when we hate the idea of sin being nearby. Thus, fellowship with our sinless Savior.

We have fellowship with Him in His desires. Jesus desires the glory of God be directed to God; and so do we. He desires the saints to be with Him, and so do we. Jesus desires the Kingdom to come, and God's will to be done. And so do we.

We have fellowship with God in His sufferings. When He is insulted, we feel the insult too. When we are blamed for His sake, when we are despised for His Name, we have fellowship with Him. Because He was insulted, blamed and despised too.

We have fellowship with Him in our gospel-driven efforts. Like Jesus, our food and drink is to do the will of the Father (John 4:34.)

And we have fellowship, we walk in the light, in His joys too. What makes Jesus happy is what makes us happy also. When He is exalted, we are joyful. Our fellowship will be complete when we experience His glory in person, forever.

And in the meantime, I will endeavor to complete a couple of big homework assignments that will encourage other church leaders, myself included, to walk in the light, and enjoy lasting fellowship with our God. That will be a key learning, a best practice, and the priority going forward.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau

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