We are on an Adventure with God
Going on an adventure can be exciting, educational and fun as you encounter new experiences, things and people. But adventures can also be tiring, challenging and even dangerous. And on many of the adventures I’ve been on, unexpected things happen, the good and the not so good, no matter how thorough your plans. One aspect that has helped me for all my adventures and travels is an experienced travel writer who said, “always expect at least one thing to go wrong, but do not allow the unexpected to ruin the whole adventure, in fact the unexpected as a blessing.”
Now as Christians our lives are full of adventures. When you open the bible, have you ever noticed the number of adventures God takes people on? He takes Abraham on an adventure away from his homeland to be a blessing to others and the father of many nations (check out Genesis 12). He leads Moses and the Israelites on a challenging and long forty-year God planned journey as revealed to us throughout the book of Exodus. The ministry of Jesus sees him inviting some others to join him wandering from Capernaum throughout the land to Jerusalem (take some time to read at least one of the Gospels in one sitting to get an insight into his journey). And throughout Acts and the Epistles we see God leading Paul on numerous adventures that saw him visit Italy, Sicily, Malta, what is now modern-day Greece and Türkiye, Syria, and Judea.
And God invites us to be on an adventure with Him today. Do you see that God is inviting and leading you and your congregation on an adventure. This is an adventure of walking with him, connecting with and helping others, meeting new people, discovering more about God, yourself and others, connecting with the old and the new to share something extremely valuable with others, His life-giving Good News.
The truth is each of us; ourselves, our congregations, our camps. our ged care village, and our ministries are all on adventure with God, each other and the communities where God is leading us.
Having this outlook of being on an adventure with God and others can have an inspiring impact to our lives. Some years ago, a number of Christians said to me their whole life and attitude to church and the Christian life altered when they embraced the idea that they were on adventure with God. Everyday they woke up with a prayer…God what are we up to today. Then amongst the routine of everyday life they were on the look out for how God was at work and leading them. They saw the people they encountered as people God was leading them to and to connect with. They were encouraged to think, how can they share the valuable gospel generously through all their interactions. One of the older members of the group, said “seeing life as being on adventure with God, gave her something to look forward to, and helped her deal with the challenges she faced.
So, what does it mean for us to be on an adventure with God
- Remember God is always with us on this adventure…. remember Jesus’ promise to be with always in Matthew 28:19-20.
- Throughout this adventure remember God is always loving us and others…. check out Psalm 136
- It is important and healthy for us to be walking constantly with and listening to and learning from God…check out John 15:1-17
- The adventure will involve the expected and unexpected…embrace both…the entire bible is one of God being involved in the unexpected
- On this adventure God invites a diverse range of people, no one is not invited…check out Galatians 3:26-29
- The main focus for this adventure is to connect with Jesus and help others connect with Jesus, so many may know His saving love and grace. check out Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16
So come continue being part of God’s adventure with God, others in your congregation and as part of the wider Christian church…. discovering how God is at work for you and through you.
Bishop Richard Schwedes
October 2024
