Sermon Series Wrap-Up: You BElong Part 2


As stated in the previous entry, a sense of belonging is important to most people in today’s world, and it is particularly important that the church be able to instill a sense of belonging in the people that visit it. For this reason, Pastor Pope and the other ministers at United have continued delivering sermons that tackle the issue of belonging.

A few of the Sermons use acronyms and acrostics to illustrate concepts that feed into the concept of belonging. For example, Pastor Pope introduced BRAVING, which breaks down into

Boundaries
Reliability
Accountability
Vault
Integrity
Non-judging
Grace

Each of these concepts feeds into belonging in that all address things that must be in place or must be demonstrated by the members of a group for each of the members to feel like they can trust each other. Pastor Pope defined trust as being the willingness to take something that is sacred or important to oneself and make it vulnerable to the actions of someone else. Trust is vital for people to build genuine relationships with each other and thus necessary for the members of a group to establish a sense of belonging.

People in the group have to be willing to establish the boundaries for their interaction with others in the group and also willing to respect the boundaries of others. Members of the group have to be reliable meaning they can be expected to do what they say they will do. When group members fail to do what they are supposed to do or fail to live up to the standards of the group, they have to be able to acknowledge that and make amends in whatever way possible. That is what it means to be accountable for one's actions.

Pastor Pope introduced the concept of the vault, which is especially important for building trust. When things are shared in confidence, they should be locked away as if they are put into a vault. That is the only way that people can feel confident being vulnerable with each other. Being able to maintain the vault feeds into the next concept - integrity.

Integrity means holding up to one’s own principles. If someone wants to be able to trust others, they have to be trustworthy. Most people want respect for boundaries, reliability, accountability, and a maintained vault from others. To demonstrate integrity, those same people have to be able to display all of those concepts.

On the flipside, even people with integrity fail to uphold standards sometimes. All of us have weaknesses and qualities that cause us feel like we don’t measure up. Given that fact, it is important that people within a group refrain from being judgmental. How can someone feel like they belong to a group if they constantly feel like they are being judged by the other members of the group? Instead of judgement, the members of the group should show each other grace. When others fall short, their fellow group members should be able to give understanding and forgiveness.

Using those concepts, groups, like churches for example, should be able to develop trust amongst the members and that would help instill a sense of belonging for everyone in the group or that is considering joining the group. For Christians, in particular, trust is not held solely between the group. Most importantly, it is held between each of the group members and God.

We are supposed to have supreme faith and trust in God. Our trust in Him should be greater than what we may have for anyone or anything else.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” - Matthew 10:34-42
For Christians, our whole concept of trust should revolve around our relationships with God. He is trustworthy and therefore we can be confident in trusting him with our very lives. If we then emulate God in his trustworthiness, we can in turn become people that others can trust. If the church is filled with people that are trustworthy in that way, it will be one step closer to being a place or group where people can feel they belong.

Who Do You Trust?

1/17/21 Encounter

Chris Lawyer
Sermons by Everett Pope

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