poorThe Embrace

connection

Fear of coming to Church

Will I be ok

The Embrace

Fear

Deep in their heart they wanted connection.

They wanted to give and to receive

They wanted to be embraced

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All long for

Fear of coming to Church

● Gave them more information● Arrive late, leave early.● Sit at the back● Build a relationship before church service● Debriefs● Social Media

The Embrace

volv

We all long for, in our depths, a sense of being embraced

The Embrace

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The Divine Embracing

‘On the cross the circle of self-giving and mutually indwelling divine persons opens up for the enemy; in the agony of the passion the movement stops for a brief moment and a fissure appears so that sinful humanity can join in.

The Embrace

volv

The Divine Embracing

We, the others – we the enemies - are embraced by the divine persons who love us with the same love with which they love each other and therefore make space for us within their own eternal embrace. Miroslav Volv

The Embrace

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‘An embrace involves always a double movement of opening and closing. I open my arms to create space in myself for the other. The open arms are a sign of discontent at being myself only and of desire to include the other.

The Embrace

volv

They are an invitation to the others to come in and feel at home with me, to belong to me. In an embrace I also close my arms around the others - not tightly, so as to crush and assimilate them forcefully into myself, for that would not be an embrace but a concealed power-act of exclusion;

The Embrace

We come

but gently, so as to tell them that I do not want to be without them in their otherness. I want them in their openness. I want them to remain independent and true to their genuine selves, to maintain their identity and as such become part of me so that they can enrich me with what they have and I do not’. Miroslav Volv

The Embrace

paul

We comeWarts and allSinners and saintsAddicts and anchors

We embrace

The Embrace

greet

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Philippians 4:21-23

The Embrace

greet

Greet (aspazomai) means to enfold in one's arms and so to welcome and embrace another.

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common

A greeting was made not merely by a slight gesture and a few words, but generally by embracing and kissing.

A journey was hindered by the embraces of those departing and bidding farewell

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eg

'Greet' was a common ending to Paul's letters.

Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 1 Thessalonians 5:26

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eg

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas

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eg

And Jesus who is called Justus greets you.

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change

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. Colossians 4:10-12, 14

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how

People change when they know they are embraced

The Embrace

how

How do we embrace well?

The Embrace

how

How do we embrace well?

1. Recognise it is a work in progress.

The one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion Philippians 1:6

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how

How do we embrace well?

2. Humility

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:4

The Embrace

how

How do we embrace well?

3. Look to the interests of others

Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

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how

How do we embrace well?

4. Imitate Christ

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus

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how

who, though he was in the form of God,did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,

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how

but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.

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how

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,so that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

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how

and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the FatherPhilippians 2:5-11

The Embrace

Image cc: Mike_tn

To know that you are loved, you are cared for, and that you have a place in the world that matters.

The Embrace

poorThe Embrace

Passage