Author: Michelle Suarez

But God….rich in mercy and love.

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil – the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. BUT GOD is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved.) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:1-6 NLT

But God……might be my favorite phrase in the entire Bible. There is usually some horrible statement about the world, our state of being, or our situation that is described. And then the great words that change everything. BUT GOD. In the midst of terrible situations, God shows up and changes things. It’s an amazing juxtaposition of good and evil, right and wrong, sometimes even good, and better.

In the above passage, Paul is reminding the people of Ephesus that they were all but dead before they came to know Christ. Because of their sin and the way they were living, they had no relationship with God and no hope for the future. The Bible clearly says that our souls will live forever in one of two places – in Heaven in the presence of God, or in Hell separated from him for eternity. So here, Paul is reminding them not just of their state of being on earth, but their future eternity.

BUT GOD……God in his rich mercy and full of love for us, even in the midst of our death and decay, gave us life through Jesus. He raised us from the dead and has given us a seat of honor alongside of Jesus. Not because of anything we’ve done to earn or deserve this gift and honor. Not because of any future promise we could make. Not even because of our potential to follow Christ. Simply because of his great love and mercy.

BUT GOD…..the best phrase in the Bible.

*I’m planning to write a whole series on the “But God” phrases in the Bible so stay tuned for more to come.*

Rethinking Community

Community is a common buzz word in churches – so much so that I think we often gloss over it. In fact, I believe that most church leaders believe their church has done and is doing a great job in creating community for their members. So much so that they don’t give much thought to the idea anymore.

But the reality is – I think we’re wrong! I think that most churches have great intentions in creating community. I think we’ve spent considerable time creating plans for community. I even think we believe that our plans are working. But the truth is……..true community isn’t happening as often as we think.

In the two years I lived in Arizona, the best community I found was in my gym. I was a pastor and member of a very large local church, but I struggled to find a group of people that I connected with. But every morning I met with a group of people in my workout class who had become friends. We texted each other, we looked out for each other, we challenged each other, we prayed for each other. We became a community in a way I had never experienced through church.

I often wondered at how this small fitness franchise had been able to capture the idea of community in ways that my church had not. When I approached other church leaders with this, I was often brushed aside. You see, what happens is church leaders create a program or plan of action for capturing people and putting them inside of groups that are designed to become communities. And we become blind to the idea that these groups are not functioning in the way we’ve designed them to function. So we believe that community is happening, because we said it would happen. And we don’t want to admit that something isn’t working correctly.

Over the next few weeks and months, I’m rethinking community. I’m willing to admit that things aren’t quite what they should be. I’m going to do the hard work of asking questions, coming to terms with reality, and recreating a future plan. You’re invited to come along with me as I rethink community.

When have you experience true community? What do you believe was the defining characteristic of your community group?