The early followers of Jesus were not called people of “the experience,” or the people of “right doctrine,” or the people of “moral values,” or even the people of “the church.” They were called the people of “the Way.” They were known for the way they lived, not only for what they believed or valued. Christians were associated with a particular and discernible way of living and relating that both grew out of their faith and gave testimony to that faith. More than just individuals who had a changed religious position, they were now a new people, a new community embarking on a new way of life — a life worthy of their calling. Their proclamation that in Jesus the reconciling and transforming reign of God had become a historical reality was more than an intriguing idea, it had become visible in a people whose life together was the first fruit of the new social order intended by God for the whole of creation. ~ Inagrace T. Dietterich in “Cultivating Missional Communities”
“I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Eph 4:1-2
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