| October 21, 2020 Good afternoon, ” … Once you were not a people, and now you are the people of God…” I Peter 2:10 What makes us a community ? When Peter talks about being a people, I think he is talking about being a community. Here in Poole, we do not have bylaws or a constitution, so what is it that brings us together ? We believe in the 1995 Mennonite Confession of Faith. We believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord of the world. We have found over the years that we like each other. We live in the same general area of Ontario. But, what makes us a people or the people of God ? In my 30 years of being a pastor in the church, I have heard many people talk about how they are at the edges of the church. They feel they are the prophets, yet they are very much part of the decision making that goes on. They believe that they are at the fringes of the community of faith, but still part of it. If we are mostly at the edges of community, what keeps us at the center ? Have you ever wanted to be part of a community, but not allowed in ? Peter was not in favour of letting in the Gentiles. He wanted to remain part of the Jewish tradition, but bring Jesus along. He and Paul did not agree on this matter. 1 Peter is one of the ” pastoral letters ” where Peter is trying to encourage and build up the community, so they do feel that they are all the people of God. I believe that it is an ongoing work that we are becoming the people of God, but not yet arriving. God has some work to do with us. How do we include people ? How do we include God ? Grace and peace in the journey of life and faith. Fred Tread on bold new paths! Fireflies flash the direction Hope springs eternal ! Monica Pieper Landoni 2020 |
