| I like dough. In my teenage years I was a baker at Duffy’s Donuts in Northlands Mall. I loved the feel of dough as it transformed from a crumbly, sticky mess into a completely smooth ball. I loved rolling it out and transforming it into different forms, proving them, frying them (it isn’t a donut if it isn’t fried), then icing and decorating them, and filling them with cream, custard or jam. And then seeing people of all kinds enjoying them. From separate ingredients to finished works of beauty enjoyed by many. Yeast is an important part of that process. If it isn’t worked throughout the entire lump of dough or if it isn’t enough, or the conditions aren’t right, the end results are messed up. In Matthew and Luke, Jesus likened the kingdom of God to yeast that was mixed through flour until it affected the whole lump of dough. Jesus painted many pictures of what the Kingdom of God would be like and how God would bring it about. It starts with small things, and then over time becomes something visible, multiplied, large and present in every context. As a church we are exploring what this looks like for us in our context. During our Grow Night last week, we explored our draft vision to become a “vibrant, growing, family of faith participating with Christ in transforming lives and communities” and a mission to “grow a family of faith in Christ that builds bridges into our communities and within them expresses the beauty, justice, and love of God.” At our next grow night, we are going to look more at the draft pathways we might take to fulfill our mission – what is Christ calling us to participate with him in building his kingdom in the 2020’s? Adam |
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