The blessing of community
Tomorrow is Pentecost. The "expected" scripture for Pentecost is Acts 2:1-21. Take a look at the first verse: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
The Discipline devotional yesterday talked about this passage -- specifically the first four verses. Notice where the disciples were -- they were together in one place.
I think it is appropriate that they were in one place. Community. I've heard it said that we were meant to live in community -- that we need each other, and I think that is true.
There is a member of our church -- a very spiritual man, who prays and studies. An older gentleman who comes regularly to Sunday school but doesn't feel a need to attend worship. "The tabernacle is not in there," he says, pointing toward the sanctuary. "It's in here," and he points to his heart.
I think one of the points of our celebration of Pentecost is that we know that God dwells in us. He is always with us. He is able to guide us, to comfort us, to strengthen us because he lives with us. Does that mean that we have all we need?
I don't think so. I think that we need community. In order to do what God would have us to do, we need each other. We need the force of combined efforts, combined gifts and combined support in order to do God's work. Worship is magnified with many voices. Praise is echoed from one to the next. Service is possible in community. We can grow in faith when we are able to put others first.
If we are blessed to be a blessing, who shall we bless?
Image: Clover on VA hill
posted by Kim at 10:29 PM
4 Comments:
as a pastor I would tell your older gentleman, "You need to be in worship....if not for you, then for someone else."
If he's such a scholar he knows Hebrews admonition to not abandon the gathering together of the saints.
shame on him! there, does he feel guilty yet?
Not that I wouldn't like to see him in worship, but he blesses many of us through his presence at many other times of church gathering. He is much more of a scholar than me.
Shame on him? Shame on you, Mike!
I wonder if you should say "shame on him" without knowing why he doesn't attend worship. How accessible is the place of worship? How is his hearing? Is he welcomed into worship? Is he invited to offer his gifts in worship?
I know the man Kim is talking about. He worships in community and communities in many different places and times, just not necessarily the "hour" we call worship.
Come on Mike, have a heart.
I'm with Mike, shame can serve a purpose in life driving us to do things. Although I don't know if shame is a reason to attend worship.
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