•  We will invest our Time, because God has called us to cultivate a community representing His love and hope. We are to be a community that embraces both the international population and the governing German culture. It will take time to reach and embrace each of these groups as part of the body of Christ
• We will invest our Tears, because they express the pain and joy in a person’s life. As I Corinthians 12:26 expresses, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored every part rejoices with it.” The body is strengthened in unity through vulnerability and allows a foundation to grow in God’s love and grace.
• We will invest our Talents, because He has entrusted each individual with an ability to edify the body. God takes delight in us using that which He has blessed us with. Everyone desires to have an active role in the Kingdom of God, and each is needed in order to fulfill the Commission that Christ himself gave His Church.

Jesus commissioned in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Just as Christ received authority from the Father, he has given us authority and responsibility.

The picture of Blessing and Breaking Bread can help us understand this commission. In response to his disciples’ uncompassionate attitude toward a crowd of over 5 thousand hungry people, Jesus says, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” They only found five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took “the five loaves and two fishes and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people." 

Jesus later declares himself as the Bread of Life. At the Last Supper, Jesus takes bread, blesses and breaks it telling the disciples that it is his body. Every time Christ’s disciples repeat this tradition they were to remember Christ’s body broken for them.

Christ followers have received the blessing of Christ’s saving love. As believers, we must humbly allow ourselves to be broken in love so that the world can taste and know that God is good.

Drew David, Pastor