2. we are part of dying church
so I refuse to believe
we are changing…we are blessed
I realize this may be a shock but
‘change comes from below”
is a scandal, and
‘the poor will always be with us”
so in 5 years I will tell my Elders & Synod
they are not as important as the manual states
the area Committee will know that
it cannot be business as usual
we are not alone
I tell you this
people of faith will con-spire together
10 years down the road
we will mark the demise of the URC.
I, therefore, do not conclude that
we will be part of a vibrant community of faith.
In the future
a lukewarm faith will be the norm.
no longer will it be said that
we continue to discern God’s purpose for us.
it will be evident that
we have lost the plot.
it is foolish to presume that
there is hope.

3. How can we be sure that the difference we are making is for Christ’s sake and not for our own
personal sakes, or that of the Church’s sake or born out of a lack of generosity or of spiritual
imagination?
What kind of church can we discern together, that God wishes us to become in the next few
years?
How can you sustain our life together as local churches and synod in your attempt to join in
God’s mission?
How do we make a choice between good things in terms of our prioritizing?
Where is God’s Spirit leading?

4. Jesus took, thanked/blessed, broke and gave/poured.
These descriptors/verbs of the Jesus Way – point to and offer clues
to the shape of our life together.

5. Shaping Up …Jesus took bread and wine
1. What are some of the gifts of our life together–the taken for granted
characteristics?
2. What are the things we need to be honest about?
3. How can we begin to re-author our conversations
everyday ordinariness – no illusions, no disguises
taking the whole of life being honest and attentive
re-authoring our conversations
reframing the urgent questions before us

6. Shaping Up - Jesus gave thanks
1. Has generosity/giving thanks been the starting point of our mission and
ministry? Where? How?
2. In what ways can the deepening of this habit bring changes to our life
together?
3. What do we need to do?
Giving thanks is a scarce commodity – too much anxiety
trusting in a God of abundance – countercultural act
a profoundly theological issue: do we actually believe in a
generous God?
are we able to model our lives around this belief?

7. Shaping Up - Jesus broke bread and poured wine
1. If we are to make a choice between good things/programmes - what
must go and what should we focus on?
2. Where do we need to be mutually inconvenienced towards a shared
commitment?
bread and wine cannot remain intact nor can we
to be broken, poured out or inconvenienced - the ultimate challenge of our
calling
…crossing from familiar spaces into an unfamiliar ones
journeying beyond comfort zones - boundaries to discover new insights
we are all in need – all are to be mutually inconvenienced

8. Shaping Up -Jesus Gave
1. Where are you particularly aware of the presence of God in your own life
and in the life of your congregation?
1. Where do we need to and what can we do to nourish and make glad our
life together? How do we become bread and wine?
ultimate end and purpose of bread and wine is to be in use - shared
we employ a different economics – that of abundant generosity
Imagine the difference it would make when our world is viewed from the
perspective of God’s generosity and abundance.

9. there is hope.
it is foolish to presume that
we have lost the plot
it will be evident that
we continue to discern God’s purpose for us.
no longer will it be said that
a lukewarm faith will be the norm.
in the future
we will be part of a vibrant community of faith.
I, therefore, do not conclude that
we will mark the demise of the URC
10 years down the road
people of faith will con-spire together
I tell you this
we are not alone
it cannot be business as usual
Synods will know that
they are not as important as the manual
states
so in 5 years I will tell my Elders
‘the poor will always be with us”
is a scandal, and ‘change comes from
below”
I realize this may be a shock but
we are changing…we are blessed
so I refuse to believe
we are part of dying church
[Jagessar 2012 with credit to an idea from
Jonathan Reed “Lost Generation”]