We can’t truly worship God without loving and valuing what God loves.
I can remember the first time I walked into a Vineyard church. The two things that impacted me most were the intimacy in worship and the value of welcoming and caring for the poorest and most vulnerable in society.
That set me on a journey both personally and theologically, where I began to see in the scriptures God’s concern for the poor, widowed and orphaned. I encountered a people who took that seriously and did all they could to live out the heart of God for the poor in many different and creative ways. It changed my life.
I experienced a church and a movement that was committed to not just talking about what they heard in the bible, but were determined to carry out this teaching in their streets and communities. Part of the Vineyard’s story is a fresh, powerful and ongoing encounter with the mercy of God for us in Jesus.
Mercy has shaped our movement so much that we can’t help but share that same mercy to all who are made in God’s image, especially those who are vulnerable.
After being part of the Vineyard for many years now and having ended up leading a Vineyard church, I know that what I saw at the beginning – intimate worship leading to the increased presence of God in our midst and care for the poor – are actually inseparable. It is one of the most compelling things about our movement: that it is made up of men and women who understand that we can’t truly worship God without loving and valuing what God loves.
The Vineyard is a movement that understands that all people have been created in God’s image and as we have been shown mercy, we are to go out as servants and do likewise in Jesus name. When we do, his presence is with us in increased measure and we play our part in his beautiful kingdom story of love, redemption and the renewal of all things.
As we remember the poor and regularly place ourselves amongst the poor in love and service, we find that the power and the presence of Jesus is with us in ways that we won’t experience anywhere else.
