Catechesis, Union and Communion

We’re all on a Journey Two dimensions: Family-of-origin story Family-of-destiny story We’re always dealing with both

We’re all on a Journey Four stages of our family-of-destiny story Catechesis/Discipleship Purgation and Inward deepening Increasingly Settled Wisdom and Peace Arrival home (Jn 14:2-3)

Catechesis Beliefs The triune God is the most beautiful and most important being in the universe Humans were created good, in God’s image, for God Humans are now sinners: original and personal Jesus Christ made a way that leads to new life We have incredible resources for psychospiritual growth in Jesus Christ New life involves conformity to Christ by the Spirit/grace/faith, with others

Catechesis Norms Love God: The triune God is to be the center of my life and it should affect everything Love God: I am to grow closer to him Love God: I am to conform my mind, heart, and life to his will Love my brothers and sisters/family/neighbors/the poor/enemies, as myself

Catechesis Practices Personal devotions for communion with God Public worship with other believers Communion with other believers Vote Republican Care for the poor

Inward Deepening Stage 2 The relation between the head and the heart It’s actually a spiral

How do we promote inward deepening? Receiving one’s union with Christ Participating in communion with God and others

Catechesis, Union and Communion Union with Christ

When does union with Christ happen? It occurs in history when someone believes the gospel (Ro 10:9) From that point on a person is united to Christ

What is union with Christ? To be identified with the Son in some key respects by the Father So that the Father declares that in his heart I’m just as good and beloved as Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

What are the benefits of union with Christ? I am forgiven and cleansed of all my sin, shame, and guilt (Eph 4:32) I am reconciled and capable of communion with God (2Co 5:18) The Holy Spirit lives in me (1Co 6:19) Christ considers me his friend (Jn 15:15) I belong to the body of Christ (1Co 12:27) I am now alive to God (Eph 2:5) I am a new creation (2Co 5:17) I am able to love, trust, and obey God in some degree (1 John) I have an eternal inheritance of unimaginable wealth (Eph 1:11, 18) I am perfect and complete in Christ (Heb 10:14; Col 2:10)

Do you believe all this about yourself? Do you know these things about yourself? Do you feel these things about yourself? Why is it so hard for most Christians to feel these things about themselves deep in their hearts? Sin Core beliefs that shape our sense of who we are What messages shape your sense of who you are? Where did they come from? How do we promote belief change in our hearts? How do we promote such belief change in others?

How do we promote belief change in our hearts? The work we have to do is done in our consciousness We have to… Become aware of the conflict Accept our brokenness—we can accept what is true about us because of our union with Christ Accept the negative emotions that come up Modify the emotions by folding into them something good (God’s love of me, good he’s bringing out of this, our created good, breaking the generational curse, and our redeemed good)

How do we promote heart change in others? The work we have to do is done through empathy We have to… Listen attentively Accept the person’s experiences and brokenness Accept the negative emotions that come up Talk with the person about his or her experiences and negative emotions without pressure to be different right now Ask the person to explore how God views him or her in light of Christ’s death and resurrection while feeling their negative emotions Pay attention to what’s going on inside of us

Catechesis, Union and Communion Communion with the Triune God and Others

What is communion with God? Experiencing the loving presence of God in a close, personal relationship Communion = fellowship from koinonia (Gk.), which means “close relationship,” “having things in common,” “sharing with another” Based on our union with Christ

What is communion with God? “…our koinonia is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1Jn 1:3) “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the koinonia of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1Co 1:9) “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the koinonia of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2Co 13:14)

The love of the Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enjoy and delight in each other (Jn 17:3) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rejoice in each other’s wellbeing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share all things in common They are omniscient, so they know each other perfectly They have the same feelings, goals, and desires

Sharing in the communion of the Trinity Because of union with Christ… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit accept and delight in you (Jn 17) and want you to know and experience that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire and rejoice in your well-being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire a fitting union with you They want to share joint attention with you They want to share their thoughts, feelings, desires, and story with you They want you to share your thoughts, feelings, desires, and story with them

What barriers keep us from communion with God? Major Barriers: The remaining influence of sin “The flesh fights against the Spirit” (Gal 5:17) “The mind set of the flesh is hostile to God” (Ro 8:7) Distorted God-image Poor self-care The evidence of our lives has convinced us God is not on our side, so we have “lost heart”

What promotes communion with God? Spending time with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Believing the Bible’s message: God accepts and delights in you (Jn 17) in Christ and wants you to know and experience that Believing that God desires your well-being Believing that God desires a fitting union with you Where you and God share joint attentional focus Where you take in God’s thoughts, feelings, desires, and story Where you share your thoughts, feelings, desires, and story with God The goal is to have many corrective emotional-relational experiences with a perfect Person who loves us

What promotes communion with God? Spending intentional time with others who resemble God (more than our parents or early caregivers did) Friends who are soul-mates Those who are healthier than we are (counselors, mentors, parent-figures) The goal is to have corrective emotional-relational experiences with an approximate image of God who loves us You can be that kind of mage of God! Could churches become more like this?

Remember Ephesians 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

How do we promote communion with God? Spending time with God In public worship at church In private devotions (getting alone and quiet with God) Consisting of Bible reading, meditation, and prayer For two purposes: Godward (worship) and inward “soul-work” Devotions are “soul-work” time - Relaxing body and getting into a meditative state - Sharing some joint attentional focus with God, taking in God’s mind and heart, and sharing our mind and heart with God - Working on something from our past or present