Made for Community; Made for Friendships
We know it. We weren’t made to go it alone. It is not healthy…emotionally, psychologically, physically, or spiritually. We wither away. We don’t grow. We are not what we could be – or should be – if we live our lives alone. Yet, studies show that half of us do not have one person they can really “talk to.” How about you? Where do you find yourself living an “alone” life?...a disconnected life?...a life apart from community?...And how’s that working for you?
Jesus was born into a family. The first miracle He did was at a wedding. When He began His public ministry, He called 12 disciples to do life together with Him. He was not a loner. He doesn’t call us to be alone. He calls us to be in His Family. Even the Greek word translated “Church” reflects this; it is a “gathering of people.”
“Blessed is the one who hears my words and puts them into practice.” Jesus said these words over and over again. Blessed. Happy. Whole. Complete. Which one of us does not long for this? In the month of September, we will begin a focus -the RED LETTER CHALLENGE – that is meant to grow us in “hearing the words of Jesus and putting them into practice.” And as we do it, we have Jesus’ promise that we will be blessed.
But here’s the crux of the matter; if we try to do it alone, we will never be what we could be. We are not made to go it alone. We were created for Community and Community happens most powerfully in small groups. Jesus calls us into the blessing of Community, and it is in Community that He works most powerfully to grow us in the blessing of hearing His words and putting them into practice.
This is why we will spend the next four weeks focusing on Community. May God, the Holy Spirit, use these weeks to move each of us to do whatever it takes in our lives to come together in small-group Community as we look forward to “hearing His words and putting them into practice.”
For you will be blessed!
August 8, 2021 COMMIT
Someone once said, “if you don’t commit to getting where you want to go, you will never get there.” Today, we will focus on the examples of Jesus and the first Christians. They knew where they wanted to go when it came to Community. They made it priority number one. They committed to it and so they got there. But finally, this isn’t about them. It is about each of us. Will I commit to the blessing of small group community as priority number one?...at least as a beginning for 8 weeks in September and October? How about you?
Readings: Acts 2:42-47, Mark 1:14-20
August 15, 2021 BE PRESENT
Attend. It is a word that is used when a student goes through Clinical Pastoral Education. It means to fully focus and be present with the one you are talking to, trying to help. You listen first. You notice the facial expression and the body language. You ask questions. You listen…really listen. And you don’t condemn or give advice or try to fix them. You support them. You encourage them. You speak back what you have heard, showing that you have listened and have empathized with them. You are fully there. And when you pray, you pray back what you have heard, asking God into the situation. In a small group Community, it is very similar. It is what we focus on today.
Readings: Colossians 3: (12-14) 15-17, Mark 3:13-15
August 22, 2021 LOVE
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus spoke these words. In the Bible, love always seems to be an action word. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His One and Only Son…” Small group community is the place where we are meant to begin to give and receive love. It is what we talk about today.
Readings: I Peter 4:7-11, Mark 6:30-44
August 29, 2021 REPEAT
We all know it’s true. As the ancient Greeks said, “repetition is the mother of learning.” In order to grow in something, it must be repeated again and again and again. And all one has to do is to ask the piano student how ugly it can get until something beautiful comes.
Small group community is a gift from God. Today, we talk about our commitment being one of a lifestyle repeated over and over again, to our great benefit and the good of the world.
Readings Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 11:28-30