May-13 Fresh Start

Wednesday May 13 - we met on zoom and here is a summary.

Colossians 1:15-20

We looked together at Colossians 1 vs 15-20 NLT and read it out together, people taking it in turns to read one verse each. We read it three times through to let it sink in and sense what God was saying to us through the passage.

There were several key points that stood out to some of us and here they are:

Vs 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. 

• The first part of this verse shows the physical form of Jesus, and in lockdown a physical person we can talk to and see, a visible image we can touch is valued. 

• The second part of this verse shows He is constant, never changing. He is consistent through all seasons of life. Also he is supreme and all powerful. He was at the beginning, supreme over his amazing creation and supreme over everything. He is our rock in every situation, everything we don't understand. Even in these times we are alive for such a time as this because of his supremacy.

v16: for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

• First sentence: This struck a few people. What are the thrones, kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world? What does he want us to know about these? There is stuff going on in the unseen, spiritual world, in the heavenlies. God is in charge of these things too. Jesus made the unseen world too.

• There are very powerful realities in the unseen world but we can't see them with our physical eyes. There is a challenge by God to ask us what we are looking at. What do we need to see with our spiritual eyes as well as our physical eyes? 

• Second sentence: Everything is created for Him. There is a call to bring everything back to order.

V17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

• Everything is stressful and chaotic at the moment. But so much good is coming out of this time. For example a church has come alongside a 7 year old girl and her family who don't know God but are seeing His love in this time outworked in the church's support. He is bringing things back together. 

• This part of the passage is the central point and draws the focus in and back to Him and His creation.

v19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 

• Why has Paul written this? Because there was false teaching going on to the Colossians at this time. But Paul's point is that you don't need anything else to get to God. In Christ we have everything we need. He is God and He is our way to God.

Season of Discernment

There is a season of discernment Rich and I sense SoHOP needs to enter into, which will open out into something new and glorious. 

I heard the words 'fresh start' when Rich and I were praying about SoHOP recently. At the same time I felt the weight of His glory, hence the opening out into something new and glorious.

As a response to this we invite you to return to the journey of discernment we set out on at the beginning of SoHOP. Hopefully it won't take as long!! Please be praying about this.

I encourage you to not start by thinking about what we were doing before lockdown and how it should change, but to think what is it the Holy Spirit wants us to do now? Be indifferent to everything we think, be attune to His leading. 

This is an opportunity to rearrange our direction, what do we want? What is the fresh, new thing you are doing God? So we are asking God what is the next season for SoHOP and we are praying He will have His way. 

We sense that the journey ahead again is going to be too great and that in order to survive and keep going we need to arise and eat. God is showing people in the Church that there will be an awakening soon. How do we survive this? By arising and eating, growing in Jesus to be able to live through this time, continuing to hold the line in prayer and watching for the city and for the Church.   

Also in your prayers please keep in mind Isaiah 56 which sets out the original vision of the house of prayer: a house of prayer for all nations, a place of joy and gathering for the exiles.