Week of August 7

Waiting on God

Sowing our Prayer… Reaping the Spirit

For the next two weeks we will be looking at the purpose of the Church, seeing what the Church is supposed to be and to do.  This will not be specific to Oak Chapel, but will be true of the entire Body of Christ.  Each day will have a theme on what the church is or does for those within the body of Christ.  Since each theme is true of the entire Body, it will be true of Oak Chapel.  How should each theme, then, help clarify our mission as a church?

Sun.	Word  “God’s people cannot be without God’s Word, nor can God’s Word be without a people.” - Martin Luther                                           Isaiah 55:11; Mark 4:1-20
Mon.	One  “God is one, and Christ is one, and His Church is one, and the faith is one… Unity cannot be severed; nor can one body be separated by a division of its structure.”  - Cyprian                                     Ephesians. 4:1-16; John 17:20-23
Tue.	Holy  “The Church is said to be holy because Christ its head is holy who makes the Church the partaker of his holiness because it is called by a holy calling and separated from the world, because the Word of God is holy, and because the Holy Spirit in this assembly sanctifies believers by applying to them Christ’s holiness, awakening in them the desire of perfect holiness” - John Gerhard                                   1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Peter 1:15-16
Wed.	Sacrament  “From the outset, those who have confessed Jesus as the Christ and ‘who accepted his message were baptized’ and were immediately found devoting themselves to ‘the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer’ (Acts 2:41,42), italics added).” - Thomas Oden                                                               Acts 2:37-47
Thu.	Universal  “It is called universal then because it extends over all the world… teaches universally and completely one and all the doctrines which ought to come to men’s knowledge… and because it universally treats and heals the whole class of sins which are committed by soul or body…” - Cyril of Jerusalem                                                         1 John 1:1-5
Fri.	Apostolic  “The church is apostolic insofar as it retains, guards, and faithfully transmits its apostolic mission.  Those sent by the Son are the apostolate. - Thomas Oden                                                      Matthew 28:18-20
Sat.	Discipline  “Discipline requires obedience to the divine commands as to sincere religious worship of God alone and as to holiness of life.” - Petrus van Mastrict                    Matthew 18:15-18; 1 Timothy 4:8-16

Remember to pray for the Spirit to clarify the mission for Oak Chapel and for the Spirit to give us the power to work in this mission.