From the Corps Officers Desk

10 Feb 2012

One faith, many cultures

It was good to have the entire Training College community share with us last Sunday. Continue to pray for the Cadets as they prepare themselves for a calling to mission and ministry in The Salvation Army. Between March and May we will have small groups of 1st Year Cadets sharing with us on a Sunday for 4 weeks each. The first group will join us on Sunday 4th March.

Over the course of this year our main Gospel focus will be John. John's Gospel in many ways takes a different emphasis to the other three and gives us some stories of Jesus life that we do not encounter elsewhere. Obviously it won't be our preaching focus every Sunday but we will return to John's Gospel various times throughout the year. At some stage this year why not take the time to read the whole of John's Gospel through and be challenged by the story you encounter.

This Sunday we will be looking at John 4:1-12 and the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan Woman. It's a story filled with subtleties about crossing social boundaries that aren't immediately evident to us as modern readers today. But in this passage we encounter Jesus as one who knew that God's love and grace was for all people, and he would break social convention to ensure that message got through.

How far are we prepared to go to share the love and grace of God? What boundaries (real or imagined) are we prepared to cross with God's love?

I often need to remind myself of the privileged position I hold in this world. As a Caucasian, well educated, fully employed, Australian I am amongst a small percentage of people with life opportunities that many in this world can only ever dream of. And if that is the life I lead then as someone who desires to see the Kingdom of God established on earth and heaven then I face a challenge to follow the example of Jesus and crossing boundaries and sharing God's love with people very different to myself. But when you are comfortable it is hard to remember that those boundaries even exist. May God make us uncomfortable so that others may encounter Him through us.

As a faith community may we value diversity and realize that the Kingdom of God is made up of one faith, but many cultures!

See you Sunday.

Gregory