What is the 5G Life?

WHAT IS THE 5G LIFE AND WHY SHOULD WE WANT IT?

If you’ve used a cell phone you’ve heard the terms 3G and 4G. They refer to first, second, third generation data connections. Each new generation of phones works faster and allows the user to do more on their cell phone. According to the blog Gizmodo, “5G will dramatically increase the speed at which data is transferred across the network. Just imagine upgrading your data connection from a garden hose to a fire hose. The difference will be noticeable.”

That’s what we want, a better connection to God. Jesus said “I came that [you] may have life and have it abundantly.”  The word abundantly is from a Greek word that means over and above, more than is necessary, superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon.  Most of us have a 1G connection to God, if we have one at all. We think God’s there, we feel an occasional connection, but our lives are pretty much like everyone else’s. We don’t feel that we are living an uncommon, extraordinary, superior life with more contentment and joy than is necessary, a life that is overflowing with love and peace.

HOW DO WE GET A LIFE LIKE THAT?

That’s where the G’s come in.  In 5G terms we need to Greet, Gather, Grow, Go, Give.  Those are the pieces of the abundant life. We have to meet God where God is. If we don’t feel some sense that we are missing something, that we are longing for more—meaning and purpose, trust and certainty, a sense of being loved and valued—we won’t look for God. And as we grow closer to God we reach out to Greet others who are seeking.

Once we start looking, we Gather: get together with other seekers to share our dreams, our fears, our longings; to share what we have learned so far, and to worship the God we are coming to know.

And together we Grow.  We pray for ourselves, for each other and for the world. We study the Bible, which is the record of God’s dealings with humans and their experiences with God. We practice spiritual disciplines that help us to think and act like Christ. Growing is the centerpiece of the 5G Life. It is growing in Christ—mind, body, heart and soul—that makes the abundant life possible.

As we Grow, we are empowered to Go, taking action to help the poor in body and the poor in spirit. And we Give generously of our time and our money so that more and more people can join us in the 5G Life that Christ wants us to have.

The idea of the “5G Life” is another way of expressing what has been part of Trinity Presbyterian Church of McKinney’s heart for a long time: the Five Faithful Practices of Radical Hospitality (Greet), Passionate Worship (Gather), Intentional Faith Development (Grow), Risk Taking Mission Service (Go) and Extravagant Generosity (Give).