Community

The first Thursday of every month, I get together with a group of pastors from Covenant Churches on the front range.  Arvada, Longmont, Ft. Collins - we come from all over. All of us are in some way part of the student ministries at our churches.  Every time I walk away thinking, "I love meeting with these people. There is something encouraging about conversation with people walking the same journey as you."

Who are the people like that in your life?  Who are the people that you meet with and walk away feeling refreshed?

I am convinced more and more that we NEED these people in our lives.  Without honest, challenging, uplifting conversation with trusted friends it is so easy for life to become heavy.  

How would you describe the rhythm of your life right now?  Light?  Heavy?

If your answer is, "light."  Awesome!  I challenge you to find someone to share that with.  Let the blessings you receive in life become a blessing to others.  Let the good things you experience become a testimony of God's grace present.

If your answer is, "heavy."  Maybe it's not so awesome, but I challenge you also to find someone to share that with.  And I don't mean the vague, veiled, "pray for me," kind of sharing that can make us feel like we have done just enough.  Yes, it's appropriate that we don't share every detail of every struggle with every person we meet. However, there needs to be at least one place, at least one person where we can let down every wall and be brutally honest.

Do you have a person in your life with whom you are brutally honest?  Who is the person that allows you to drop every wall and barrier?

My prayer right now for my life, and for each member of our community, is that we would seek, find, and celebrate these very relationships in our midst.

Do you have these places of honesty and trust?  Celebrate!  Let them know how much they mean to you.

Do you need a place like this?  Pray for God's guidance.  Then, with discernment, lean into a relationship that you think could go deeper.  Take the next step of trust.  Confess the struggle you have bottled up inside; admit the fear that weakens your knees.

The body of Christ is a place to find healing, strengthening, transformational relationships.  We have the very presence of God in our midst, and that is something to celebrate.

Heavy seasons aren't necessarily joy filled, but they definitely ARE seasons God wants to work in and work through.  Let us be a community of people God works in and works through as we share both the heavy and the light of our lives together.

Thank you Christ, for your presence among us. Amen.