“Hi – how are you?” “Fine…” Living in Brokenness & Vulnerability

Chapel A Vision Statement We will love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. What we are Chapel A will be a home, where people are accepted and welcomed into the church family. We will be a safe place, where we can be real with God and each other. We will fulfil our responsibilities to each other, loving others as ourselves. We will accept the challenge that we are not yet the people God wants us to be and will encourage honesty and mutual accountability.

In other words… we acknowledge reality: what it is to be broken and vulnerable… and we admit it… of ourselves, each other & those not yet here… .

The choice to live in brokenness and vulnerability challenges us in profound ways to let go of what other people think and to surrender to God's love & mercy. I tend to perfectionism and don't like to make mistakes. I like to 'get it right' the first time. The problem is that I am human. Very human. I do make mistakes. I am not above the rest of the human race. I can be honest and trustworthy and show great integrity. I can also be a liar, not follow through on what I say, and violate my own integrity in a heartbeat. Both are true. I am a saint and sinner. So are you.

In fact... I now see the depth of my own sinfulness (my own 'falling short') with greater clarity. The hole in my soul is much deeper and more frightening than I ever realised. Yet from that abyss bloom seeds of potential and new life. I realise now that few of us descend down into that black hole for fear of never coming up... Yet our light... shines most brightly from the very backdrop of our own brokenness and vulnerability. This is our greatest gift to the people we serve.

We help create a safe environment for others to come out of hiding and be themselves. Our churches truly become communities of grace. Then we can all boast, like Paul, that God's power really is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12: 9)