A Time to Connect

by Sue Donaldson

Yesterday Ken Peet said: “Don’t play church – be the church.” One great way to be the church is to love on each other.

I find that hard to do sometimes. Either I don’t see the people I love enough or I don’t even know half the people at my church! (So frustrating.) Ten minutes between services is not much time to connect. I’m lucky to meet one visitor or touch base with one old friend – it doesn’t help that children are pulling at my sleeves.

Ken didn’t mean we “be the church” only at church. It’s 24/7, wherever God leads, whoever He places in our path.

Our church is big. It’s not a mega--church, but it’s big. Thus, it offers Growth Groups, Sunday School classes, Bible Studies, choir, the knitting ladies, ministry boards, and salad suppers. We don’t do these things just to keep busy or to fill up our calendars. We do them to connect, to encourage one another, to spur us on to the good work of knowing God better and deeper.

People can feel lonely in a crowd. It’s up to us to make our “crowd” manageable—so that we feel loved, practice our spiritual gifts, and aren’t lonely. We’re grown up (or, trying to be!) --we can take responsibility for our loneliness and for obeying God’s injunction in Hebrews 10:24 and 25:

“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another . . .”

Can you spend a moment “considering how,” as the verse says?

How can you love one another better this week? How can you “assemble” in a smaller group this week? Don’t wait til the new year – come for soup on Friday from 12-3 pm at my house. Next month, Soup’s On! Friday will be at Missy’s. Watch for the bulletin announcement.

We’re not eating soup just to have one more thing to do. Rather, it’s so we can connect and know one another as God intended in this great, big idea of His called “the church family.”

See you Friday. Bring crackers.

Father God,
We love You. We love your idea of our church family. How do you want us to assemble together this week? Help us get connected so that Your name is lifted up. Now that’s a great idea. Amen.