Comfort and Joy

In Romans Chapter 12 Paul teaches the Roman believers to live their lives shaped by the cross.
There is a term “cruciform” – which means ‘in the shape of the cross’, or ‘cross-like’. This passage is all about ‘cruciform’ living – living a life of holiness and hospitality that is deep-rooted in the cross.[1]
The cruciform life is cross-shaped.  It is shaped by the cross into the shape of the cross.  The cross, representing the life, death, and resurrected life of Jesus, is the soul-shaping core of our existence as Christian disciples – it is at the heart of who we are, and whose we are.  When the gospel is “of first importance” to us and “Christ is formed in us”[2] then our lives take on the shape of the cross:  we begin to live the vertical life of loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and we begin to live the horizontal life of loving our neighbor as ourself.[3]
Years ago, I was looking for a gift to express my thanks to someone who had mentored me. I found some special wooden crosses in Koorong. I liked them because they were curved  – and from one aspect it looked like the cross was facing upwards, and from the other, it looked like it was facing down. They were about the size of my hand and fit in my budget, so I bought one. I liked that cross so much that, a while later, I went back to Koorong to buy one for myself. Unfortunately, they no longer had them in stock! In fact, they didn’t have them in their catalogue and none of the staff knew what I was talking about. I searched online too – nowhere to be found. Every year or so since then, I have done a new search, in the hope that the cross would become available again. The last time I tried was just before Easter this year, again with no success.
Fast forward to my second conversation with the Joint Nominating Committee here at Athelstone Uniting Church. Paul and I were taken on a tour of the church building. When we entered the worship space, I was taken aback by what was sitting on the communion table – it was that very cross that I had been searching for – and not just that, it was at least twice the size of the original!
That was the moment I knew I could stop searching. I didn’t need one of my own – because it was here waiting for me.
It was a significant God-moment for me that helped me clearly discern the sense of Call to come here. So, this cross is very special to me!
Did you know that this cross is called “Comfort and Joy”?
Written on the bottom are the words:
“when viewed from the inward side, the cross portrays the comforting arms of Christ’s love, care and protection and when viewed from the other side it symbolises the outward arms of joy and celebration of life with Jesus and his victory on the cross”.
So not only does the symbol at the heart of our faith, show for us the vertical life of loving God and the horizontal life of loving our neighbour, it also represents Christ’s love for us and our response: being joy and celebration of life with Jesus.
Isn’t that cool? I think so!
That for me represents the cruciform life Paul spoke of – our way of doing life as we respond to God’s love for each of us – a life marked with joy and hope, bubbling over into the world around us.
May joy bubble through your day!
(I found out since that the cross was purchased in Queensland a number of years ago by a group of our young people who had been to NCYC. The artist who made the cross has since retired, which is why the crosses are no longer available to purchase)
 
[1] Gorman, Michael J. 2004. Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and his Letters. Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company. P390
[2] (1 Corinthians 15, Galatians 4:19)
[3] (Matthew 22:36-40).
This is an excerpt from a sermon preached Sunday September 10th 2017