We have been struggling a little bit with the tension between gathering and being sent in our efforts to plant a presence in a new region in our community. Our vision "One Church, Regional Impact" has propelled us into Verona, a community some 7 miles from our initial site in Fitchburg. We long to see God's people live missional lives in their neighborhoods, leading to transformation of their communities. One of the things we have discovered has been the need to gather, in the process of being sent. And we have felt a little tension in what this looks like, how often, etc...
Then, last night I uncovered this beautiful word picture from Scott Downing that unlocked some things for me. Enjoy! Click here to read the whole post.
"A reservoir is intentionally created in order to provide needed resources for a thirsty population. A reservoir is intentionally created in order to provide measured, intentional releases of water for agriculture and commerce. One benefit beyond its more important functions is that of recreation. Reservoirs become gathering places for families and friends. Swimming, hiking, boating, fishing, BBQ’s – good days to be alive and enjoy one another.
A reservoir is intentionally placed where it is fed by watersheds and streams from small to large – even rivers.
Reservoirs do not exist unto themselves and for themselves. They exist to serve, to nurture; to bring health and growth. Reservoirs serve their primary purposes in two stages: gathering and releasing.
Without gathering, there can be no release. Gathering is receiving. Gathering is receiving from the source. Taking in. Being filled. From potential to realization, every aspect of gathering signals its ability to provide. The reservoir knows without gathering it cannot supply the need.
Two things direct the reservoirs release: the tension and pressure against that which restrains it and the needs of those who are recipients of the supply. There is always tension between gathering and releasing. This tension is essential for the well being of all concerned. To little release and pressure can build to the point of weakening the structures that boundary the reservoir with the result of radical rupture. Too much release and downstream channels can be flooded – again bringing destruction to that which was meant to be nourished.
While gathering is receiving, releasing is satiation. The intentional outflow of the reservoir now moves throughout the surrounding areas – bringing nurturing life to the community. Even as the tap in the kitchen or the faucet in the shower is experienced by people, the water moves to supply crops that will produce harvest months yet to come. In the foreground of life and in the backdrop of seasons and plantings – the waters make life possible in a community that often never perceives what it takes to bring such blessing.
God is sourcing his church. He carefully builds and defines its structure. He pours into it waters of life – springs that never cease – a flow of His Spirit that prepares and adorns His church with His presence.
There, in that reservoir, we gather and find fellowship and family. We recreate in the beauty of what He has made in Christ. We live in the warmth of His Son and the enjoyment of His people. Each gathering He is pouring into that reservoir, building, strengthening, and sustaining His grace.
There is a city waiting. There are a people who thirst. In our own thinking we seek release and we strain against the means of His release. But God knows the reservoir and the people. He speaks and streams of living water move throughout a city carrying life to all who live there.
Acts of mercy and kindness. Prayers over neighborhoods. Assisting the hurting and the broken. Befriending the isolated and rejected. Living our lives, as the apostle Peter puts it, in such a manner that our good works bring praise and glory to God. Streams into the desert, God spoke through Isaiah. A church carrying all its gathered grace even as it is dispersed throughout a community.
We are both: a reservoir and the streams that flow out of it.
This is the church. This is the vision, the picture, the imagination. This is the dream, the hope, the intention."
A reservoir is intentionally placed where it is fed by watersheds and streams from small to large – even rivers.
Reservoirs do not exist unto themselves and for themselves. They exist to serve, to nurture; to bring health and growth. Reservoirs serve their primary purposes in two stages: gathering and releasing.
Without gathering, there can be no release. Gathering is receiving. Gathering is receiving from the source. Taking in. Being filled. From potential to realization, every aspect of gathering signals its ability to provide. The reservoir knows without gathering it cannot supply the need.
Two things direct the reservoirs release: the tension and pressure against that which restrains it and the needs of those who are recipients of the supply. There is always tension between gathering and releasing. This tension is essential for the well being of all concerned. To little release and pressure can build to the point of weakening the structures that boundary the reservoir with the result of radical rupture. Too much release and downstream channels can be flooded – again bringing destruction to that which was meant to be nourished.
While gathering is receiving, releasing is satiation. The intentional outflow of the reservoir now moves throughout the surrounding areas – bringing nurturing life to the community. Even as the tap in the kitchen or the faucet in the shower is experienced by people, the water moves to supply crops that will produce harvest months yet to come. In the foreground of life and in the backdrop of seasons and plantings – the waters make life possible in a community that often never perceives what it takes to bring such blessing.
God is sourcing his church. He carefully builds and defines its structure. He pours into it waters of life – springs that never cease – a flow of His Spirit that prepares and adorns His church with His presence.
There, in that reservoir, we gather and find fellowship and family. We recreate in the beauty of what He has made in Christ. We live in the warmth of His Son and the enjoyment of His people. Each gathering He is pouring into that reservoir, building, strengthening, and sustaining His grace.
There is a city waiting. There are a people who thirst. In our own thinking we seek release and we strain against the means of His release. But God knows the reservoir and the people. He speaks and streams of living water move throughout a city carrying life to all who live there.
Acts of mercy and kindness. Prayers over neighborhoods. Assisting the hurting and the broken. Befriending the isolated and rejected. Living our lives, as the apostle Peter puts it, in such a manner that our good works bring praise and glory to God. Streams into the desert, God spoke through Isaiah. A church carrying all its gathered grace even as it is dispersed throughout a community.
We are both: a reservoir and the streams that flow out of it.
This is the church. This is the vision, the picture, the imagination. This is the dream, the hope, the intention."
4 comments:
Here's a comment I received on this word picture:
"Good word picture in many ways.
When the reservoir isn't releasing he pictures it bursting... I think if we are properly filled, the outflow will function as designed. I would re-picture the malfunctioning system to be one where the water is diverted upstream. We put up obstacles and diversions and the water that was meant for the reservoir runs off without gathering. It won't ultimately reach the fields for which it was intended if it doesn't first replenish the system."
Here's another word picture...
Are most of us floating comfortably on our rubber raft on top of the reservoir, just enjoying our life and not worrying about other inhabitants of the reservoir.As long as it serves our purpose we dont think about how we can help be a part of the reservoir.
It is a very beautiful and biblical imagery. The first thing I'm reminded of is Genesis 2 & Revelations 22. Also similar to beginning of the prophecy of "The Sheperd of Hermas".
The tension lies in the fact that God has created what is from what is not. Even with the first community the bride is hidden within, pulled from, and formed into a companion. There is this instant kinship of sharing the same Father/indwelling of Christ. It seems to be the main requirement.
Using this analogy the one thing I've often wondered is when Adam names his bride. Here is this wonderful opportunity to give identity and it seems he roots it in himself. In our immaturity it has been the history of humanity to fall asleep and forget it was, is, and continues to be not only God's work but His story. We are the ones written in to reveal His glory/ or replication of heaven on earth.
In the reproduction stage, we gather, personalities, cultures, worship styles ect., along with our structure causes tension. For good reason we need and have boundries. Yet, we have a tendency to replicate ourselves vs. reproducing/replicating His plan in creative ways.
The other thing I love about this imagery, is the resources for the kingdom are not only in the creation but flowing outward. A balance of promise, stability, continous flow (urgency/keeps moving).
Goes back to community gathering under Him, recieving, being creative, risky, knowing even if WE think we've failed, it's already written. However, as we go out new reserviors will be built/symbolic of level ground or places of salvation.
Which brings it full circle to discipling the lost/workers in a community where immaturity may cause conflict/division but dividing also brings multiplication in good ways.
Seems christology is at the heart/reservoir of building new communities. We tend to start with theology or religion....structure's to meet God vs. molding and forming within a reservoir that is present but we can not visibly see. Or we think of the reservoir as being the location we grow out of vs. the eternal one that was their long before any of us came into existance.
Finally it gives a deep view of our Apostle Paul, he calls these emerging churches all saints,(yea right, what was he thinking), however, the bullet test if you will, IS Jesus, each gathering is different, derived from scripture, yet, a certain form of task theology is used as the church emerges from the culture. Paul's planting stands in stark contrast to that of the first man created.
So I see the challenge, one our church is going through, but I also recognize that as we/I go out into the communities we have a tendency to think our way of gathering is the reservior, so my IDEA or image of God/gathering becomes the plumb line. In Acts I love when Stephen is appointed, a greek speaking man for those who had been exiled and returning to their heritage. One of their own is discipled, resolves, handles conflict, Jews/Greeks are one in Christ but also unique and distinct in their means of dispensing grace.
My heart goes out to Titus, and his task with the Cretans. Paul's charge is FIRST against those who have been circumsised. It reminds me of a South African Missionary. He states a common thing among the people,"The white man came and had the bible, we had the land. Now the white man has the land, and we have the bible." I truley believe the south african's are better off. But are we? Such is the way of growth, so while our eyes see that reservoir, believe it is of God, we lay a foundation, Christ, but those in the community when trained right, should have the freedom to put up the walls.
I love Moses, but it was Joshua who led them to the promise land. In bondage, a teenager, learning/putting to practice/teaching others, but he began as a slave himself. And waiting in the wings we have Rahab....God speaking to her heart before those men even came, gazing at the stars as Abraham did. The question as she lived by the city gate was imprinted by God. Who are you? Where do you come from? It was in her dna. She certainly was not fitting the mold, but being refined by the great I AM. The other question for her, did she really believe in any man and their plan? Could she trust man knowing their deepest desire? Or did she bank her whole life and that of her family on another one, a different kind of man? The reservoir, the tree of life, the river that flowed.......
An unlikely person just shared with me today, when Jesus was tempted, He said, "It was written", not in a book but in the heavens. I thought that was cool. Of course this man does not fit our mold. Neither does his wife, they do not fit our mold, could never be a reservoir, She has not even been baptized yet. Solid ground. But even in their ignorance Jesus is building a church. I'm living as though He has, she is going to be a part of our movement. Because SHE is the movement.
Here's another one from facebook. I love this!
"came back from MN to my little pond being empty. Most likely the dog had been in there and carried out most of the water in her fur many times over the coarse of the weekend.She is literally like a sponge... now a very pungent one at that. Anyhow it was mucky on the bottom- several inches of sludge from fall leaves and dirt. Dried up to the point of me thinking maybe we should just fill it in and not worry about all the work it requires to maintain it. Or spend a day cleaning it out really good and making a commitment to keep it clean and functioning. What good it is anyhow?
In the last few days I have noticed that the birds who all loved visiting the pond every morning have come, and looked in and flew away.Squirrels, and chipmunks all peeked in and left . The neighborhood cat (I will affectionately call him black and white kitty) who comes for a drink has come and gone w/O a drink of water. Bailey, our 2nd black lab seems saddened that the pond is dry.
Now none of this really has anything to do with me
except my life is much simpler when I don't have the pond to maintain.
BUT if I don't attend to it, and clean it and keep it going, others (even though they are just animals)are effected.
The camaraderie is gone even though it was just a community of birds.
A very diverse bevy...
hmmmmmmm??Just like our neighborhoods?
( confession-making it plural gives me that whole safety in numbers thing!).
Today I will attend to my little pond and make it welcome for the community in which the little reservoir serves. Yeah, it will be work and a mess and I am sure later on when the labrador is laying in the middle of it making me mad I will almost regret the effort I give it to maintain it.
Just like out neighborhoods."
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