“선한 일을 위하여 지으심을 받은 자니”(엡 2:10)

Sunday Service on September 15, 2024
“In the Stillness”
Mark 1:35-39

The book Simple Church emphasizes that for churches tired of complex programs and structures seeking to find their blurred essential mission, the answer is simplicity. It presents four key words on how to build such a simple church:

• Clarity: Clearly showing the church's mission and direction
• Movement: Guiding and leading the process through simplicity, not complexity
• Alignment: Aligning the church's vision, ministry, and direction to a single purpose
• Focus: Concentrating and working diligently on essential core ministries

In this context, while it’s true that some churches have to manage many ministries, One Hope focuses on three core ministry visions as outlined in the diagram below:

In Mark 1:35, Jesus withdrew to a solitary place to spend time with God the Father. The translations vary slightly: "solitary spot" (NIV), "deserted place" (NRSV), and "an isolated place" (NLT). The Revised Korean Version translates it as "a quiet place."

In terms of the paradigm of a simple church, One Hope aims to be a place where, amidst the busy and challenging circumstances of life, worshippers can find stillness when they come to worship. This stillness can only be achieved through simplicity. Thus, one must simplify to enter this stillness of heart that we desire.

This is not about the external stillness where nothing is happening, but rather about our heart's condition. Stillness does not mean the church’s mission stops or disappears. Mark 1:36-39 shows that Jesus’s mission did not end in that quiet place. He went there not to escape His mission but to fulfill it. From the perspective of a simple church, Jesus was focusing. By emerging from simplicity and focusing, His influence grew, and through His mission and journey to the cross, salvation for all humanity was made possible.

The second ministry vision of One Hope, connected with 'spirituality,' involves entering a deeper relationship with the Lord, and this requires 'stillness.' How do we achieve that stillness together? We take cues from monasteries. Monasteries have routines and rules that help one another enter into stillness. In the faith community, we also need rules. We can perhaps call them "spiritual etiquette," which allows us to take our eyes off one another and give each other room to focus on the Lord.  Among them, the most crucial rule which we should all focus on together is this:

1. Let us go to the Lord together.

Please make this your number 1 community rule which we keep together. This will allow us to find that stillness together. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What factors hinder you from experiencing stillness in your soul?
2. What can you practice to foster stillness for yourself and others?