Building on the Rock

by Mary Geddes

At our last Exchange, Casper Versluis condensed the big subject of “Building on the Rock (the Holy Spirit and a People of God) into a 45-minute talk, which gave the attentive listeners a lot to chew on before breakfast. Here are a few of the points that he made:

He reminded us that Christians need to live in a radically different way from this world’s norms.

In order to live differently, it is essential for us to experience the Spirit in all aspects of our lives.

In the Old Testament, the people kept losing, then regaining the presence and closeness of God. Jesus’ coming changed that forever – the Holy Spirit could now dwell in each believer’s heart – the counsellor that Jesus promised he would send in his place.

We believers live in an interesting place – between the two resurrections. We choose to live a radical, alternative life, but we need constant spiritual renewal throughout our lives.

A bond has developed among the regular early birds who attend The Exchange. The camaraderie makes a person keen to arrive in time, i.e. about 6 am, to get a hot cup of coffee (or  tea, hot chocolate, whatever you prefer…) and have time to reconnect with other regulars and welcome first-timers.

People from various walks of life gather as equals to glorify God, to support and counsel each other and to enjoy friendship… and let’s not forget the lure of a hearty breakfast!

A willing team of staff, Life Team and volunteers start work before the crack of dawn and the tantalising scents of bacon, eggs and toast give us all a good appetite to help us start our work day well.

Here are some pictures from our time together.