“Being a Christian in everyday life” is the subject in our divine services in September. There are many sources from which we can gather inspirations on how to be a Christian in everyday life. The age of communication has greatly expanded the possibilities.
Inspiration from social media
For a few months now, the New Apostolic Church has published a daily spiritual impulse. This is a social media project by the New Apostolic Church Northern Germany which started in March 2016. It has its own website and uses social networks. The quotations used to date are from divine services by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider and two German District Apostles, Rüdiger Krause and Rainer Storck.
Many thousands accessed the site in the first six months of the year so that the project has been expanded to include others. This is what the District Apostles decided at their last meeting in April 2016. Since the beginning of this month, readers will find quotations from all European District Apostles and the Chief Apostle on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. The quotations are published in English and German and are easily recognizable by the blue sky and white clouds as background.
“What God gives us is never only for us alone, but always also for others.” This will be featured at the beginning of October and describes one aspect of Christian nature: sharing the good we receive. At the same time the quotation supplies a hint how the daily inspirations can be used: they are not only there for reading, but are certainly ideal for sharing in social networks.
Inspiration in the divine services
Divine services and Christians are aspects of church that belong together. “In the divine service the congregation gathers to hear God’s word and receive blessing through the sacrament.” This is how the Catechism of the New Apostolic Church describes it in chapter 12.1.1. And if a New Apostolic Christian is not at home but travelling, for example, he can find the next congregation in the Church’s global address directory. The directory can be accessed from many of the District Churches’ websites or directly via the Church’s own website.
Inspiration from personal encounters
Being able to actually come together is the nicest form of communication. Being able to talk to one another personally—and not only via online chat, telephone, or email—is something that gives sisters and brothers a true sense of belonging and feeling at home worldwide.
Also over the past several days, New Apostolic Christians have come together: the members of the congregation in Lotus River West in South Africa, young people in Glasgow in Scotland, adults in Michigan in the USA, or the congregation in North Sulawesi in Indonesia—to name only a few.
Inspiration from magazines and books
The Book of Books, the Bible, is a treasure chest of inspirations and ideas. The Bible is designed for daily use, whether in print or electronically. At least five minutes per day—or more if there is time—are recommended. No matter how we access the Bible, whether as an app on our smartphone or a tablet, it has so much to offer in the way of inspiration and reflection.
Ideas and inspiration are also provided by our Church magazines such as community, African Joy , and Unsere Familie . Or the Catechism of the New Apostolic Church, which can be downloaded as a free app either in the long version (iOS or Android) or in the Questions-and-Answers format, which is ideal for self-study.