by Leo Schuster | Lead Pastor
Because we live in the modern industrialized world, we have little appreciation for how pitch dark the ancient world could be. In the most famous sermon ever preached–the Sermon on the Mount–Jesus cast a beautiful vision for what the church could be: “The light of the world. A city on a hill” (Matthew 5:14). For those traveling in ancient times, darkness made it impossible for them to find their way. But if a traveler happened upon a city on a hill, the glow of light in the sky would be visible for miles, enabling them to navigate safely in the dark. City Church aspires to be this kind of presence in Houston. We recognize, though, there’s no light inherent in us. We have no more light than the moon does!
We’re resourced, though, by One who is committed to renewing the world. At the end of the Bible God says, “I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:5). From the eradication of sorrow and the restoring of justice, to the reconciliation of relationships and rewiring of culture, finance, work, the arts, and so on. Of course, the full realization of this awaits that ultimate day when heaven and earth are merged and the Lord wipes away every tear from our eyes. It’s not, however, a project imagined but shelved for some future date.
God is already at work now in this comprehensive, cosmic renewal project. He could, of course, accomplish this on his own. But instead he’s invited us to partner with him. This has always been the heartbeat of City Church. This series will explore biblical themes that animate City Church’s vision to renew Houston, imagine how our future home will enhance our ability to do this, and how each of us can participate. You can read more about this here.
With this vision in mind we’ll also discuss how an appreciation for biblical generosity will help each of us consider how we might participate in this vision becoming a reality.
