Hope in the Coming Year

As 2007 comes to a close, we often look back over the year remembering high points and low points. We look forward to the coming year and what we hope to accomplish, what we hope to do different. 2008 promises to be a great year for Christ Community. Of course, we look forward to laying our foundation and getting our new house of worship built. More important though, is the people whose lives will be changed by the power of Jesus Christ in this coming year. It will be a year of growth, with adults becoming more rooted and grounded in Christ, and young people coming of age and being confirmed in the faith. Probably most exciting of all is not what we expect, but the unexpected. What new thing is God going to do in our lives? How is he going to challenge us and stretch us? How will be bless us and strengthen us? What seeds that have been sown will begin to sprout and bring forth growth? We shall see. What ever happens, we know that we face a bright future in God. As the Apostle Paul said, we know what hour it is. The night is far gone and the day is at hand.

Does the coming year fill you with hope and anticipation? If not perhaps you should consider drawing closer to the One who holds all of our tomorrows in his hands. Don't be afraid, it is still the age of grace. His invitation is still open to anyone who will receive it. God loves you. He really wants you to be reconciled to him. If you come to him, he will not turn you away. Make 2008 the year you came out of the shadows in to the bright light of his presence.

Committed to Community

It is a paradox. On the one hand, we can speak of our planet shrinking. With modern transportation, distances become insignificant. A person can be just about anywhere in the world in the space of 24 hours. Many people today commute 30 minutes or an hour each day just for work. With modern technology, a person can live almost anywhere and conduct business around the world. It is truly amazing. However on the other hand, we have become distant, remote from the people closest to us. We may say that we are connected, communicating on cell phones, in chat rooms, by email, and text messaging, but frequently do not even know our next door neighbor.

Don't misunderstand. Modern technology is beneficial in many ways. However, there is no substitute for genuine human contact, such as shaking hands, talking face to face with another person, or lending a helping hand. In a world that is increasingly remote, we need to cherish our personal and immediate relationships. When we chose a name for Christ Community, we did so with a purpose. Christ is the center, He is the purpose underlying all that we do. We also wanted to communicate our intention to be a community church, that is, a church for our community. That doesn't mean that we do not get involved in world missions efforts. We believe in and support world missions. Yet we strive to be a church that fosters, builds up, and serves the people of our neighborhood. We count it a privilege to live among such remarkable neighbors. Christ Community Church is a place where you can connect with your neighbors, and build healthy, lasting relationships, not on a screen, but face to face. Most importantly, it is a place where you can meet Jesus, or renew your relationship with him. What better time, then Advent and Christmas to renew you relationship with your Savior.

Finding Grace

"Lord, send a great revival!" It continues to be a frequent prayer on the lips of many devout followers of Jesus. It expresses a heart's yearning. Sometimes it is yearning for by-gone days, rekindling memories of past experiences. Sometimes it is yearning for a spiritual warming in our own hearts personally. Regardless, it is an affirmation that everything is not as it should be. It is a statement of the intuitive knowledge that there is more to the Christian life than we are presently living, that there is more to church life than we are experiencing. We are not receiving all that God has for us. Some traditions address this dilemma by scheduling revival services, or evangelistic campaigns. Ironically, even the most dynamic and exciting events, fail to make a long term difference in our lives. Why is that? It could be that we just don't pray enough, or that we are not serious enough, devoted enough, or there is hidden sin in our lives. No matter. The bottom line is that it is our fault, not God's. It leaves us with a grim outlook and the intolerable burden of fixing what is broken in our lives.
However, what if there is another solution? Could it be, that God has really made available everything necessary for salvation? That even now it is at our fingertips? Scripture teaches us that He has. What if what we really need is simply more grace? more of the presence of Jesus in our lives? Could it be, that we are in fact, saved by grace through faith, and that we are weak and sickly in our Christian walk because we are neglecting the ordinary means of receiving God's grace? The Apostle Paul said so in his letter to the church at Corinth. (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) Sure you might need to be more disciplined in your prayer life, more devoted in your scriptural study, but the real problem cannot be fixed by trying harder. You cannot pay for what is freely given. We need more of Jesus, more of his grace working in our lives.
Are you hungry for more of God's presence in your life? need more grace? Jesus has extended his invitation to you. He said, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me...He who eats this bread will live forever." (John 6:56-58) It was Jesus himself, who said, this "bread is my body", and this "wine is my blood." Maybe it is time you came back to his table.

Laying Foundations

Jesus told a parable once about one man who built his house on stone, and another who built his house on sand. Do you remember the song? If you are building a house, you want the foundation to be s0lid. If you are building a church you want the foundation to be sound as well. Christ Community began excavation for construction of its future house of worship last month. The picture at right shows our "pad" prepared for the footing. We want our foundation to be firm, sound, solid, lest we jeopardize all that we build on top of it. The same is true when building/planting a church. Christ Community Church is a young mission, yet it is founded on the ancient foundation, the faith, handed down through generations to this very day by Jesus Christ himself, through the hands of His Apostles. It is the faith that has stood the test of time. It is the same faith that will stand until the end of time. It is the faith for every generation.
Are you tired of all the religious fads? Are you looking for a solid foundation for your faith that will not shift with the next "new" thing that comes along? Maybe you should take a closer look at the Anglican tradition. Come and See how the ancient faith can refresh and renew your faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the "Same old, same old" is New

Now there is a bit of irony. Since when, is the same old thing new? Is it possible that history can so fall out of use that it becomes new again? Believe it or not, this is the reality that we live in. Let's face the facts. There just is not a strong Anglican or Catholic presence in south central Kentucky. We are of course seeking to change that, but as it stands when neighbors from our community visit Christ Community, it all seems so new to them. Most people do not come to church for lessons in history, they come to worship the Lord. Sometimes they may become uneasy or distracted and miss the point of the liturgy. The liturgy is aimed, from beginning to end, at exalting and adoring God, and bringing us close to Him. I rarely get a chance to explain to visitors that our worship is actually following the pattern that has been used for almost 2000 years. Furthermore, it is the same pattern used by the vast majority of Christians world wide each Sunday! Some one might respond, "Just because most 'Christians' worship this way does not make it right." Point granted, but neither does it make it wrong. Truth or falsehood is not a matter of public opinion. Something is right because it is true, that is, not in anyway contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. The better measure of the pattern of worship is whether or not it is true, not whether it is comfortable, or whether you have never done it that way before. If you visit Christ Community Church, or any church for that matter, take the time to listen to the words that are said, the actions preformed and on that basis, weigh its merit.

Building Households of Faith, into the Household of Faith

From our founding in the year 2000, we have set our course to be a people gathered to worship God and “re-present” Christ to our community and our world. It is our goal to be a safe and stable place for families to grow in the Lord. We find this stability in the rich heritage of the Christian Faith as it has been believed and practiced for nearly 2000 years. As an Anglican-catholic mission of the Missionary Society of St. John the Evangelist, we are under the careful oversight of a godly Bishop in valid Apostolic succession. Biblical teaching, spiritual and sacramental worship, pastoral care, spiritual direction, evangelism, and fellowship are all part of our life at Christ Community. Whether you are just learning about the Christian faith or a long established Christian looking for a Church home, you are welcome. Christ Community Church is a place where you can grow, and continue your journey in the Lord.