Amazing isn’t it that we can find ourselves feeling most human when we are serving someone.

Jesus was the perfect human. No deceit or sin was found in him. He loved the Father with his whole heart, mind and strength. He served God and fellow human-kind.

Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live. To be most human is to be without sin, to worship God, to serve Him and others.

Author | Toby Neal
web: www.middlechildrenofhistory.info |  twitter:  tobiasneal |   facebook: toby.neal1

Alasdair MacIntyre writes, ‘Deprive children of stories and you leave them unscripted, anxious stutterers in their actions as in their words.’ That is if you don’t hear stories as a kid, not only do you not know how to talk, because you are not familiar with language, but you don’t know how to act as a character in their life story. Aristotle said, ‘When the storytelling goes bad in society, the result is decadence.’ Yet one of the essences of postmodernism is that there is no overarching story that rules over all times, cultures, histories, and people. Everything is contingent on culture and perspective. Lyotard defines postmodernism simply as ‘incredulity towards meta-narratives’. In the novel, Fight Club, writer Chuck Palahniuk, through the character Tyler Durden, gives voice to a generation without a Metanarrative:

“We are the middle children of history—no purpose or place. We have no great war, no great depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won’t. We’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very ****** off.”

Palahniuk shows that notices that a world without a great war or great depression is left to create its own futile story. What the world needs is a story which is not only worth living for, but worth dying for. In 1 Corinthians, there is such a story. A story which has been foretold and revealed by a divine storyteller (2:10), which Paul reminds the young and troubled church in Corinth, to lead them out of decadence. Such a story, if McIntyre is correct, is eminently practical for, ‘I can only answer the question “What am I to do?” if I can answer the prior question “Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?”.’
The Story of the Jesus the most important story you will hear: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, … he was buried, … raised, and … appeared’ (1 Cor 15:3-5). This story is all about Jesus first and foremost, not about us and our salvation. One of my favourite lecturer’s at Moore college used to say, ‘It is Christ‘s story which gives meaning to our lives, not our story which gives meaning to Christ’s life.’ It is no wonder Dietrich Bonhoeffer can expound: ‘I find salvation not in my life story, but only in the story of Jesus Christ.’

And yet, the surprising twist in this story is that the main character notices the minor characters. In fact in a display of love for those characters, Jesus Christ, although being God himself, gives up his privileged position and becomes one of us in order to die for us. In a “Great Exchange” Jesus is punished in our place for our sin of writing God out of our life stories and in exchange we are forgiven and written back into the story of faith, hope and love which God is telling. This story so affected JRR Tolkien that he wrote,

The Gospels contain…a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories. But this story has entered history and the primary world…. There is no tale ever told that men would rather find was true, and none which so many skeptical men have accepted as true on its own merits. To reject it leads either to sadness or to wrath…. This story is supreme; and it is true. God is Lord, of angels, and of men—and of elves. Legend and History have met and fused.

*Toby and a team of people are excited to tell this story to the world, starting in the inner-city of Sydney. If you would be interested to find out more about the church-plant, please check out his website or get in contact with him via Facebook or Twitter.

This week, I went to hang-out with some friends who run an organic fruit and vegetable markets. While I was at the market I experienced the great relevance of the doctrine of the Trinity. I walked away from the afternoon saddened by the busyness of life that means we don’t take time to relate and engage in each others lives and also excited after tasting the glorious truth life is really all about making space for others. I watched people pass by, I entered conversations, I was invited to join conversations and lives of others. I bumped into people from my church, local community, made contact with some strangers, saw people dance and laugh with each other, I had one long conversation about spiritual things and generally just got to enjoy the love and joy of life lived in relationship with fellow humans.

This is one of the reasons why I love supporting my organic food friends as they are striving, through quality food, to see people come together in their local communities – connecting, playing and working together. They encourage people to make space for others… which is how God created us to live.

God, since the beginning of creation, has been in relationship. As theologians would put it ‘perichoresis‘ which comes from the Greek verb ‘perichorein’ that means ‘to contain’ and in that way ‘ a making space for the other, ‘a dynamic containing and making room for another’.  A similar Greek word, ‘perichoreuein‘, which means ‘to dance around’ which has been used as a metaphor for the relation of the Persons. The later Church Fathers came to apply the term and its concept to God: the divine mutual indwelling of the three Persons in the one Being God.

Tim Keller describes The Trinity as:

“a dynamic, pulsating dance of joy and love. The early leaders of the Greek church had a word for this– perichoresis. Notice our word “choreography” within it. It means literally to “dance or flow around”.”
— The Reason for God, Timothy Keller pg 215

and the great philosopher and writer CS Lewis explains:

God is not an impersonal thing nor a static thing – not even just one person – but a dynamic pulsating activity, a life, a kind of drama, almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance … (The) pattern of this three-personal life is … the great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very center of reality.”– C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

The fact that the Godhead is made of of three-persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, means God was, is and will always be personal and committed to engaging with others. And if this is the God whose image all humans have been created in likeness of and mirror forth into this world then there is a profound overflow effect into our everyday lives, not only in our attitudes towards Him but also others:

• Life is best lived in relationship with God because God created us to have relationship with him.
• Life is best lived in relationship with others because God created us to be like him to enjoy making room for others.
• Love is experienced by making room for God and being contained by Him.
• Love is experienced by making room for others and are contained in the lives of others.
• Joy is found when we make room for God and are contained by Him.
• Joy is found when we are make room for others and are contained in the lives of others.

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The Trinity | If you want to read more about The Trinity, check out the Desiring God’s topic index or check Christianity.net for quick answers to some common questions. OR Why not check out how Jesus talks about His experience of His relationship as God the Son with God the Father and God the Spirit in John 17.

Make Connections | If you are keen to see how Food Connect can help build relationships in your local community why not check out the Sydney Food Connect Website.
Get in contact with the team or feel free to contact me and I would love to help you make connections.

You Can Afford Organics | If you are a local to Crows Nest… pop along to Crows Next Plaza on Thursdays between 9am-3pm to say hello to Brock & Tsung from ‘You Can Afford Organics‘ and grab some tasty, fresh and 100% organic produce.

Too often we find ourselves without friends who aren’t of faith and we limit the opportunites God might have for us to preach the gospel.
Here are 5 tips to help you maintain contact or reconnect:

1. Spend more time around people.

If you want to make friends with people outside of church and work, you first need to put yourself out there somehow in order to meet people. Friends seldom come knocking on your door while you sit at home watching TV or surfing the net.

2. Join a sports team.

You don’t have to be an elite athlete to join a sports team, but not all teams are so competitive, rather social fitness. As long as you enjoy the sport and support your teammates, joining a local team with a laid-back attitude could be a great way to develop new relationships or to help strenthen exisiting relationships. Why not join a team with a work colle

3. Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way for people of all ages to meet others. Working alongside people who are passionate about helping others or changing things you develop strong bonds.

4. Talk to people.

You can join a club, go to community art school or join a sports group but you still won’t make friends if you don’t actually talk to people. You can talk to anybody: the postman, the person sitting in the sun on a part bench, the person next to you on the bus, or the person in front of you on the lunch line. Don’t be too picky. Most conversations will stop short and not necessarily end up anywhere and you may not ever talk again to the person but who knows maybe once in a while you might actually make a friend.

5. Make eye contact and show your pearly whites: smile.

Check your body language and develop a personable and friendly presence. If you appear unfriendly to people they will be less likely to be friends with you. It is one thing that helps in building report. Try not to frown, squint, fold your arms, stare, or make disinterested looks. Open yourself up to opportunities.

(Oh and a fourth tip… PRAY!)

Matthew 9:35-39

³⁵Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

My hope is that this series of posts "18 Confessions" will deepen the believers empathy 
for those seeking out the faith and bring insight into the internal wrestles of a new
Christian or perhaps if you relate to the thoughts or struggles in  these posts that
you would consider the lasting satisfaction and joy that can  only be found in Jesus.