CCC Gainesville | Blog
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been encouraged at some of the conversations sparked by the Opus Project. For all of our similarities, both as Christians and as a church, we are also a remarkably diverse people at CCC. If you spend enough time to get past the “Hello” and “Go Gata”, you will find a group of apprentices to Jesus that is in many ways just trying to make sense of the world and our part in it. Friday night is an opportunity for us to talk about that in a way that is formative, practical and encouraging. That’s why I am so thrilled about the Opus Project.
When people start to discuss “culture” in the context of church, I’m prone to jump to conclusions and assume more than I should. Starting this Friday, nearly 50 people have signed up to participate in panels that will get at some of the core issues of life that are often absent from our conversations as followers of Jesus. I look forward to this event, and the entire project, as an opportunity for expanding my categories of thinking in relating faith and daily life.
Our four focus areas are in many ways foundational to life in the world as followers of Jesus – being a neighbor, observing (and contributing to) the arts & culture, working, and seeking justice in the world.
I expect that, through God’s working in us and through us, we will all be surprised at what we find by interacting with each other on these topics. Just as my heart is challenged and transformed by Scripture on Sundays, I expect that my mind will be renewed by honest discourse on these things. I just wish I could be a part of all of the discussions!
Friday night is simply the church providing space, setting the table and opening the floor.
What will you bring to the discussion?
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The Opus Project on Faith, Work and Culture launches Friday, November 16th at 7PM at Christ Community Church.
Reading Acts 21 today with my son we marveled at the grace & power of God to give Paul the faith to say what he said:
Our officer nominees are reading in November and December
Outgrowing the Ingrown Church
&
The first 38 questions of the Westminster Shorter Catechism
Christian baptism, which has the form of a ceremonial washing (like John’s pre-Christian baptism), is a sign from God that signifies inward cleansing and remission of sins (Acts 22:16; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 5:25-27), Spirit-wrought regeneration and new life (Titus 3:5), and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit as God’s seal testifying and guaranteeing that one will be kept safe in Christ forever (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14). Baptism carries these meanings because first and fundamentally it signifies union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-7; Col. 2:11-12); and this union with Christ is the source of every element in our salvation (1 John 5:11-12). Receiving the sign in faith assures the persons baptized that God’s gift of new life in Christ is freely given to them. At the same time, it commits them to live henceforth in a new way as committed disciples of Jesus. Baptism signifies a watershed point in a human life because it signifies a new-creational engrafting into Christ’s risen life.
#167 in Larger Catechism: The needful but much neglected duty of making the most (or improving) our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavoring to live by faith, to live our lives in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.
