Lifeshapes

 

            I find this Lifeshapes teaching stinulating and challenging. The concept was developed by Mike Breen, who was the team leader at St Thomas Crookes until 2004 when he moved to the US to minister. He still teaches at this visitors week each year.

 

     Lifeshapes consists of using a series of shapes to teach profound spiritual truths. At one level it strikes you as simple yet at another there is much to unpack and think through.

 

      For instance, the shape we were taught about today was the triangle, a three sided shape. The truth drawn from it is that our lives as Christians consist of three connected relationships. At the top of the triangle is the UP relationship with God.  At one side is the IN relationship, with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And the third is the OUT relationship, with those not yet followers of Christ.

 

    These three relationships are seen so clearly seen in the life of Christ himself, who early in the morning spent time alone with his father; who spent time with the twelve and with the three in close communion; yet had time for the crowds and those in need. His was a life in perfect balance. Do we model or even aspire to model something similar? Are there practical steps we can take to ensure each relationship will develop?

 

    There are seven or eight shapes in all and I still have a long way to go in grasping them all. But I am excited by the potential of this teaching.

Gordon  McDade