Spring Training

This post continues the thought from my last post considering 4 important questions for congregations.

Question #1 (see previous post) was, "How is your congregation being the church right now?"

Question # 2 (see previous post) was, "What is God doing in this church right now?"

Question #3 - "What are you doing to prepare yourself for the next chapter in your congregation's story?" 

Now, if you have read the previous posts, you may be wondering if I am contradicting them by suggesting that you should be doing something.  Not at all!  The fact that we should focus on what we are being and on what God is doing, doesn't mean that our faith is passive.

The idea of preparation is that we are proactively and intentionally focusing forward.  We are praying for God's guidance.  We are praying for God to open our eyes to the opportunities before us.  We are asking God to show us what we are doing that hinders our readiness for His next work in us.  What do I need to start doing?  What to I need to stop doing?  How ready am I for God to work in me in connection with the mission of His church?

My favorite metaphor for the church is the Body of Christ.  Check out what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.   The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body (v. 12) ... Now the body is not made up of one part but of many (v. 14) ...  But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be (v. 18) ... As it is, there are many parts, but one body (v. 20) ...  that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (v. 26-27).
That means that my congregation will not be adequately prepared for what is next if I am not prepared for what is next.

We are almost a month into the Major League Baseball season.  Every team had Spring Training before the first game.  They didn't just show up on opening day and expect to be ready for the 162 game season.  They had to prepare individually and as a team.  

What are you in training for?