Corner Church UNITED Services are a special thing to me. I love having all of us come together, seeing and feeling our connection.
Our Corner Church pastoral team has the rather unique experience of being connected and together as a team pretty constantly. In our preparations, efforts, meetings, planning, decisions, and processing, we are together every week. It’s truly remarkable. We plan and prep together, problem solve together, celebrate together, and learn together.
We are all part of Corner Church, but it’s easy to miss the connectedness between us. A UNITED service is a great moment to highlight our community and be together! We are all Corner Church!
Our calling from the beginning has been to see a Corner Church and a valued-in-community business within walking distance of people. It’s not just about having more pastors or more coffee shops. It’s about more bodies of Christ. More “us” in our locals.
Driving this calling is our faith in the reality that God has placed us well.
Paul says it so well in Ephesians 2, where he tells us that God loves us deeply, that we have relationship with God through God’s grace, not by earning it, and that we are created anew and created with purpose. I love these words:
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
The word handiwork in this text, ποίημα (poiēma), literally means crafted, made, designed, formed, artfully made. We are crafted to do good works.
Hear this: the emphasis is not to do more good things. More isn’t always better. It’s easy to feel pressured to do more, to think that we’re not doing enough so that we’re failing somehow. But that’s not the point. It’s not saying, “do more things.” The emphasis is this: God did well in forming and transforming you. You are made with remarkable intentionality. You are designed with deliberate purpose for a deliberate purpose.
Let’s dialogue for a moment. What have you seen that has blown your mind? What have you seen that has been remarkable or that has left you speechless? For me, that includes things like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, or stunning northern lights. What about you?
When have you seen something that amazed you?
When something amazing shows up or crosses our path or is personally experienced, there’s definitely emotion there. We marvel, and stop to take it in. And I can see Paul doing this in this verse—he’s stopping to take it in:
God knew what He was doing when He made you. You were created by and through Christ Jesus with purpose and intentionality. God knew your when and where, and you can know that you are well placed!
Wow. I am stopping to take it in. You are designed—made—placed well. In your home, your family, your local, your friends, your school, your workplace; in this season—you were designed and placed well! Marvel at it!
Today while we are all together, I want us to take a minute to focus on being neighbors. I can’t overstate the importance of having great neighbors. In this season, in this city, good neighbors build connection, create belonging, build trust, reduce loneliness, provide support, help in times of need, make neighborhoods safer, encourage generosity, create friendships, help people feel seen, give opportunities to serve, bring people together, strengthen communities, and make life better for everyone.
What if God placed the people around you well—for you? What if you are placed well?
My faith says that God knew what He was doing when He made you. You were created by and through Christ Jesus with purpose and intentionality. God knew your when and where, and you can know that you are well placed!
I want to highlight four quick stories from the Gospels, illustrating how we have been made and placed and purposed well as neighbors, to do the important unimpressive things, to help where help isn’t even being asked for, to do the unseen, and to happen upon moments of need.
The first story is in Mark 1.
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. (Mark 1:29-31)
This was an unimpressive miracle. No crowd or public demonstration or dramatic request. It’s just a fever. But Jesus’ compassion isn’t reserved for big problems or important people. And our being well-placed, being a great neighbor also isn’t reserved for big problems or important people. We were made for these moments!
The second story is in Mark 3.
Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (Mark 3:1-6)
This was an unrequested miracle. The man wasn’t looking to be a central part of the story. Jesus could have passed by and no one would have given it a second thought, maybe not even the man with the withered hand. But instead, Jesus puts the man’s dignity, need, reputation ahead of His own safety. Jesus’ compassion isn’t reserved for people who were pleading for help. And our being well-placed, being a great neighbor also isn’t reserved just for those that are calling out for help. We were made for these moments!
Here’s the third story:
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mark 7:31-37)
This was not a miracle done to be seen by others. Jesus takes him away from the crowd so they could have a personal moment. Jesus communicates with him physically, showing him what He intends to do. And then He says not to talk about it. Jesus’ compassion isn’t reserved for moments where it can be seen, marveled at, and celebrated by all. And our being well-placed, being a great neighbor also isn’t reserved just for the public moments, but for the quiet, unseen, personal moments. We were made for these moments!
The fourth and final story is from Luke 7.
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. (Luke 7:11-17)
This was a “passing by” miracle. It wasn’t planned; they just happened upon this procession. And Jesus’ heart went out to the widow with the dead son, and He was moved to take action. Jesus’ compassion isn’t reserved for moments that are well planned or convenient or expected. And our being well-placed, being a great neighbor also isn’t reserved just for planned or expected moments, but is continually seeking opportunities. We were made for these moments!
Part of our being intentionally made and well-placed is being Christlike.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Being good neighbors, like Jesus, means helping even if it is not a big deal, helping without being asked, helping without recognition, and helping as opportunity appears.
What qualities in a person set them up to be helpful?
In these four moments, Jesus stopped and actually saw the person in front of Him. He noticed. He acted. The big idea has been that we were made for these moments. But there are other questions underneath all of that: Why do these moments matter so much to God? Why does the person in front of us matter? Why does community matter?
Throughout Scripture, God places enormous value on people being connected to God and connected to one another. Scripture gives us two incredible ideas: the church community is sacred, and the wider community is precious to God.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes:
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
The you in this sentence is plural. It means “all of you.” You guys are God’s temple. Paul isn’t talking about one individual person; he is talking about the community. When we come together, whether in our group today or as the larger church or in our individual communities and churches, we are the temple where the Spirit lives—where the Spirit is.
Think about that for a moment. What is it about the church, when we are together, that God sees as so important that He calls us His temple?
The church community is sacred because God’s Spirit dwells among God’s people. And also, the wider community is precious to God because every person bears God’s image and is someone Jesus calls us to love.
Jesus tells us that loving our neighbor is inseparable from loving God—and the story of the Good Samaritan blows up our attempts to define “neighbor” as only “people like me.” The whole community matters to God. The schools matter to God. The exhausted parents matter to God. That neighbor that never cleans up their yard matters to God. The teenager that feels invisible matters to God. The person who irritates you, disagrees with you, or would never walk into this church still matters to God.
Remember where we started today: You are placed well. These people aren’t theoretical. They’re all around you. God’s people have always been called to care about the communities around them.
Jeremiah told God’s people to seek the peace and the well-being of the city where they lived, because their well-being was connected to the well-being of their neighbors:
“Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s welfare. “Pray for Babylon’s well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you.” (Jeremiah 29:7 MSG)
Care about the place God placed you. Care about the neighborhood, the parks. Their flourishing matters to God. Our relationships are not something extra we do after the “real” work of the church is finished. Relationships are part of the real work.
Sometimes relationships aren’t built through one enormous, dramatic gesture. They are built through small moments of connections, repeated over time.
Throughout the week there are these micro-connections—brief moments that matter in people’s lives that help them feel noticed, valued, and connected. We know that even these micro moments with acquaintances and strangers can increase a person’s sense of happiness and belonging.
They can be so simple. Giving a cheerful greeting. Looking up from your phone when someone speaks. Learning someone’s name—and remembering it! Bringing someone’s garbage up from the curb. Checking on neighbors when the weather or temperatures are bad. Noticing the person standing alone and inviting them into conversation.
These moments don’t seem revolutionary. But neither did it seem revolutionary when Jesus took the hand of Simon’s mother-in-law when she was sick. There weren’t any crowds. No stage. No dramatic opportunity. Simply someone in front of Jesus that He took the time to connect with.
When have you experienced a church or community where you genuinely felt seen, valued, and like you belonged? What made you feel that way?
Community gets built in exactly the kinds of moments we just saw in Jesus. Sometimes it is unimpressive. Sometimes nobody asks. Sometimes nobody sees. Sometimes it’s unexpected. And maybe that is why we need to learn to notice them. We were made for these moments One moment can become a relationship. A relationship can create belonging. Belonging can change someone’s life.
Who is one person already in your everyday life that you could intentionally see, welcome, or connect with this week—and what is one small thing you could do?
Take It Deeper Questions
Read Mark 7:31-37.
What are some of your favorite things to see, smell, and/or hear?
What are some of your strengths and weaknesses in communicating with others?
What is a common communication breakdown that seems to happen in your life?
What stands out to you in how Jesus communicated with the man in the text?
How was Jesus conscious of the man’s inability to hear or communicate?
What do you need to be conscious of as you are helping people in your world?
How are you challenged, focused, encouraged, and/or confused by this text?
Bible Reading Plan
Mark 1 • Jesus Begins His Ministry
Mark 3 • Jesus Calls and Heals
Mark 7 • Jesus Heals the Deaf
Luke 7 • Jesus Shows His Authority
John 13 • Jesus Serves His Disciples
1 Corinthians 5 • Dealing With Sin