THE Cafe Church at Crediton Methodist Church, on Sunday, March, 5, was led by Cathy Jerrard with the theme of “Whatever We Do”.

What we do with our time on the “frontline”, however small or insignificant it seems to us, matters to God. 

The challenge was to bring an object which symbolises our “frontline”.  There was a teapot, mugs and pastry with which we can share hospitality and serve others.  

There was a bank paying-in book, several road maps, a set of car keys and a meter which someone uses to test electrical equipment. 

I took along a copy of the “Crediton Courier” which I read as part of the “Talking News”. 

We watched a short film where people shared their time and skills to help others. 

In Colossians we read “let every detail in your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way”.  

When Paul wrote this letter to the church in Colossae he was being revolutionary, inviting Christians to live a life that was different from the culture of the day. 

In those days a woman was the possession of her husband and children were dominated by their parents and slaves were owned by their masters. 

Paul talks about working in partnership – wives and husbands, parents and children, workers and bosses, working in a complementary and respectful way with one another regardless of social order.

Many of those hearing that letter would have been slaves. They kept the economy of the Roman empire going, but had very little control over their lives and probably felt very insignificant.  

Paul gives guidance as to how they should live and work. He encourages his audience to think differently about work and the way they spent their time. Whatever they did, they should do it for Jesus. Cathy said in everything we do, we should do it for Jesus.

What we do becomes part of our worship. 

Hebrew uses the same word for worship as it does for work – avodah.   Jesus was, and is, truly interested in our work. 

Our work can be defined by how we spend our time – paid work, ferrying children to and from school, cooking a meal or helping a neighbour to fix a broken fence. 

Some types of work may seem more worthy than others. 

It is not what you do, it is the way you do it.   

When we do something in the name of Jesus, we are acting as Jesus’ representative. 

We are called to be Christ’s ambassadors, to represent Him, in what we do and say.  And we are to do it with all our heart.

Cathy asked how do we do this. She showed a picture of a car’s fuel gauge. We need to keep the tank filled, spending regular time in prayer with the Lord, reading the Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to help us through the day.  Why? 

Firstly, because we need to be filled with the Spirit of God to equip us in the task of living our lives for His glory and to guide us in what we think, say and do.  

Just as when we drive a car it runs out of fuel, so we need to come to the source of power and ask God to help us through the power of His Holy Spirit.

Secondly, we are in a spiritual fight. We talk about “frontline” and that may be thought of as a military term, depicting a battle. 

So it is in our Christian lives – we are involved every day in a spiritual battle.

Finally, we are to pray for the people with whom we come into contact. 

Let us pray for their needs, wellbeing and for opportunities to share our faith with them so that we may truly be a blessing to them in Jesus’s name.

Bronwyn Nott