Peace that passes understanding
and even exams!
.
by Joseph
Thompson
Note: Koinonia
is an ecumenical Christian university
student group based in central London, UK.
Members are from different Christian
traditions: Anglicans, Catholics,
Evangelicals, Orthodox and Protestants.
Koinonia aims at being an intentional
community where Christian faith comes
alive, whether it be through prayer,
conversations, growth in Christian life or
time spent together. The following sharing
is from the Koinonia Newsletter, May
2016.
Having
been a member for just over a year now, I have
come to find Koinonia
a community that is encouraging and
challenging. The weekly meetings provide a
time and a setting really conducive to
receiving spiritual food and growth, and to
encountering the Lord in many ways.
The example and witness of my fellow
Christians has been such an encouragement to
me, giving me a greater desire to live out the
whole of my life for God. Two particular
events brought this home to me. During one of
our events in the ‘reload’ series Holly shared
with us on the parable of the sower. It
proved to be a really powerful reminder to me
of some of the ways that I personally can
neglect to follow God’s word; not allowing it
space to take root, or letting it wither from
lack of attention. More so than that; it
brought home the reality that we are to rely
totally on God’s grace, and to find peace in
that, rather than worrying about salvation
through works and personal achievement.
Having members of Koinonia praying for each of
us during the exam period was another strong
reminder of this truth. It seems to me no
coincidence that this has proven to be one of
the most relaxed and stress-free exam periods
I’ve ever had, and I think the only
explanation can be that the grace of God has
been with me especially through the
intercession of my peers.
I have also been greatly encouraged to hear
the work God has done in the lives of my
friends, particularly during the ‘kubefire’
event a few weeks back. Julian, Michael and
Holly all shared about how Christ has
influenced their lives as the Way, the Truth
and the Life. It is manifestly clear that God
is at work among them, and among all of us,
but this is a fact easy to take for granted.
Thus to take the time to think over just a few
of these actions of the Spirit was a very
valuable experience.
This Spirit is not only active in our personal
lives, but in our corporate worship and
prayer. We have experienced the presence of
God very tangibly in our worship, which has in
turn strengthened our ecumenism and our drive
for evangelism. I feel it is even helping to
form our very identity as Christians.
A verse which comes to mind very clearly when
I consider this is 2 Corinthians 3:18. ‘And
all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the
glory of the Lord as though reflected in a
mirror, are being transformed into the same
image from one degree of glory to another; for
this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.’
Joseph
Thompson studies music at King's College in
London, UK. He has been a member of
Koinonia
for the past year. Joseph grew up in Antioch
Community in London, UK.
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