I was reading a book this past week called A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and the Great War about the friendship that developed between the prolific writers C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Both of these men had served in the British military during the first Word War. The writer of the book points out how deeply marked these men had been by experiencing the unique bond that forms between those that endure hardship in pursuit of a common mission.
As I read about the fast (and unlikely) friends of The Fellowship of the Ring or the instant family of the Beavers and the children in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, we can see how deeply concerned these men were in confirming that deep desire in us for friendship, camaraderie, shared mission, and community.
Within our church this depth of relational community is expressed in becoming a Partner at Veritas. Partnership isn’t a club to join or a status to achieve, it’s a family to be welcomed into. At its core, our welcoming you into Partnership is only contingent on one thing: our affirming that you are a follower of Jesus.
Followers of Jesus are going to care about their sin, service, money, relationships, and fulfilling the mission that Jesus has given them. That is why we as partners covenant together to live a life of mission, generosity, holiness, service, and in community with each other. These things aren’t radical, in fact they are boringly normal in the life of a Jesus follower. But just because they are usually normal doesn’t mean that we can’t fall out of the habit of these things.
I want to encourage you if you are a Partner at Veritas to ask yourself these questions:
Am I living a life of holiness? Am I confessing my sin and trusting in Jesus?
Am I living a life in community? Am I consistent and known in my Community Group?
Am I living a life of generosity? Am I being faithful in my giving to God and generosity toward others
Am I living a life of service? Am I actively serving on a Service Team and serving the city so that others can hear about Jesus?
Am I living a life of mission? Am I consciously pursuing relationships with others who haven’t heard the good news of the gospel?
Jesus’ disciples along with Tolkien's Fellowship and Lewis’ Narnian friendships were an unlikely bunch held together with little more than their common aim and a deep resolve; may our Partners realize that we will be very much the same. My hope is that, as we hold on tightly to Jesus through the thick and thin of ministry alongside one another, deep friendships will be formed, trust will grow, and our willingness to take ownership of the mission that Jesus has given us will solidify.
Let’s do this together as partners in Jesus' mission.
For the fame of Jesus,
Jacob Warren | Lead Pastor
jacob@veritasfayetteville.com