Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3
Dear HBIC Family,
Years ago, as I started to more intently learn about the Brethren in Christ, I came across a copy of Focusing Our Faith. This book brings together the core values of the Brethren in Christ with essays that emerged after a BIC group from across North America gathered to identify and restate our identity, beliefs, and witness. Since then, these core values have taken on a life of their own. Many of us who came into this denominational family after the establishment of these core values find that they very closely align with our identity, and have found a home within them.
In his introduction to the book, Terry Brensinger begins with this Aubrey Malphurs quote:
“Every Christian organization, as well as its leadership, needs to bring out, dust off, discuss, refine, develop, display, and implement its predominant values if it desires to make significant spiritual impact…”
This quote has always resonated with me. I see it in our churches that have sought to teach these core values, have classes on them, and develop small groups to teach and practice them. I see it in our people and families, who see the living out of these core values as foundational to their faith and witness. And I see it in our collective work in holding on to who God has called us to be and going where God is calling us to go.
As we came into this new year, there seemed to be limited weeks for a Sermon series. So, before Lent, members of our Staff will be preaching Sermons on their heart, and/or that they have always wanted to preach. For me, I wanted to use my weeks to revisit the streams that make up the Brethren in Christ.
In the past, I have preached about our core values. I have preached about our HBIC Commitments. However, who we are historically and presently, our core values and commitments, all swim in the streams that make us Brethren in Christ (Anabaptism, Pietism, Wesleyanism, Evangelicalism) So I’m excited to have us go back to the source. Last week, we began with our Anabaptist heritage, this week, we move on to Pietism.
As you prepare for this week’s services, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on John 3:1-16. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
- In what state do you come before Jesus today? What are you seeking from God?
- Where are you in need of transformation and renewal?
- How is the Holy Spirit giving birth in you?
- What has God revealed to you that God is asking you to share?
- How are you sharing God’s love for the world?
The early Brethren in Christ developed a Pietism that emphasized a heart-felt and life-changing conversion experience of the saving grace of God. I believe we see echoes of this in Jesus’ call for Nicodemus to be born again. Jesus desired for Nicodemus to know God, feel and experience God, but also to know, feel, and experience God in a way that changed his life forever.
I pray this for us all this week. May we know God. May we feel and experience God. And may we know, feel, and experience God in a way that continues to change our lives forever!!
God bless you all and take care.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (John 3:3)