BH Bulletin - Thursday 18 March 2021

Thought for the Day by Rich Arnold
​(Youth and Families Minister Holy Cross Church)

Do you remember that moment on the school playground? 
Everyone lined up for a game of footy, the self-appointed team captains chose their favourite players, and everyone was desperate to be picked.  I can tell you from personal experience it felt pretty awful being the one left until last!
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 It feels like that is the story of life a lot of the time.  We LONG to BELONG. 
 
Ephesians 2:19-22 says that our inherent human desire for belonging is profoundly fulfilled in the gospel.  Paul has been saying how the Gentile Ephesian believers (and therefore all of us who aren’t Jewish) did not belong.  But Christ’s death has destroyed the barrier bringing peace, reconciling believing Jew and Gentile into one new humanity.  The incredible result of that is that ALL believers belong together as the people of God.   
 
Ephesians 2:19-22 
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  
 
Previously, Gentiles were like Brits abroad sticking out like a sore thumb (imagine the locals playing spot the tourists!)  They were like someone watching through a window into a cosy home but having to stay out in the cold.  They were foreigners and strangers, excluded from any of the benefits and blessings of belonging to God.  Now, in Christ, they DO belong!  Paul has three images he uses to describe this belonging: 

1. Citizens: Gentile believers are not 2nd class citizens but fellow citizens.  They have the full rights of inclusion into God’s kingdom.  This citizenship transcends all national or ethnic identities as God gathers a people from every tribe, tongue, language, and nation.   
   
   
2. Family: Believers are not just welcomed into the kingdom but given a place at the family table.  Regardless of our experience of earthly families, how wonderful that the gospel brings believers into God’s household- adopted by our Heavenly Father and made brothers and sisters with other believers.   
   
   
3. Temple: Believers are not just like children who live in the house but also the bricks that make up the house.  Whereas the temple was where God lived, now – remarkably – it’s his people!  Built on the foundations of the apostles and prophets (i.e. the gospel) and with Jesus himself as the essential part of the construction, God is growing his magnificent building project brick by brick as more people trust in him.   

 
Human beings do have an 'inherent' desire to belong.  Our culture tries to find all sorts of ways to make that happen, creating boxes to fit people into.  However, when circumstances change then we no longer fit into that box and we need to find another one.  The world will never be able to offer a fully satisfying solution for our desire to belong.  But Jesus does- he demolishes the worlds boxes and gives us a sense of belonging that transcends all the categories our world could come up with.  Therefore, if you are a Christian your story of life doesn’t need to feel like lining up on the school playground being picked for football!   
 
You belong… in the most profound of ways. 
You belong... to something precious, stable and eternal. 
You belong… to the big thing God is doing on planet earth. 
You belong… as citizens of the king, family members of our heavenly Father and a temple dwelling where the Spirt of God lives. 
 
You belo​ng, with me and with every other believer, TOGETHER AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD! 
Rich

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JHMT Lent Appeal - The Friths, a reminder

Following the first part of the JHMT Lent Appeal earlier this month in which the Frith's new Ayla Project was featured please click on the link below to view their video again:
https://youtu.be/R2SfUPA1N0g
Please also find the link below to the written information:

2021-03-07_lent_appeal_-_friths_ayla.docx
File Size:	22 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

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