Posts by Dr. John Neufeld

When we think about worship, many envision singing, whether with a songbook in hand or arms lifted in praise. While singing is often a significant part of worship, it’s fundamentally a celebration of God. Worship transcends mere rituals; it’s an exuberant expression of our joy and awe for who God is and what He has done. As Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20-21, our worship should reflect the immeasurable greatness of God’s power and His ability to do far more than we could ask or imagine.

We turn to the Lord’s Prayer as template for our own prayers. It is how Jesus taught us to pray. We do well to also look at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church. It calls upon God to equip His people to perceive His power for them and His infinite love upon them, that they might know Jesus Christ and be filled to the fullness of God. This is God’s prayer for the church. This is God’s intent for each one of us.

For many, the church has a diminished role in our society. They pass a church building on the corner and wonder what relevance it has. That is not God’s perspective. Paul has spoken of the mystery of a new body created in Jesus Christ – Jew and Gentile together. That mystery might remain theoretical if not for the church. The Church is the pillar of truth, the declaration of God’s Word, an extension of Jesus’ grace and the embodiment of God’s loving community. Through the Church, the world glimpses the wisdom of God in this great mystery.

We are accustomed to think of mystery as something to be solved. If we have enough clues and good deduction, we can figure it out. But Paul uses the word “mystery” in a different sense. This mystery cannot be discovered, it must be revealed. Listen as Dr. John discusses a great mystery, revealed to Paul and stewarded by his missional efforts. God is building a people for Himself, Jew and Gentiles together. We are part of God’s great mystery.

We all have experienced the awkwardness of standing alone at a social gathering, sitting by yourself at the school lunch table or looking around a room unable to name anyone there. We feel alone without significant connections. Paul teaches that in Christ, we are never strangers. We are citizens in God’s nation, embraced by His family and become a temple of collective worship. The grace of God does more than forgive. It shapes us as God’s Household.