Compelling Christian Community

The other Sunday I preached on what it means to be a compelling Christian community.  Looking at the community in Acts 2 we see a picture of the early church and we see the importance of living a life of faith together.  The way the early church loved one another spoke to their faith and witnessed to God’s transforming salvation.  During this sermon I used the story of my friends Emily and Kari as an illustration of how community changes our lives of faith.

In my first Chicago marathon, I knew I did not want to run alone.  I convinced some friends to meet me at different points in the race.  The idea was that my friends would meet me at mile markers 15, 17, and 19 and run a portion of the race with me.  My plan was perfect…or so I thought.  As it turns out, I was on a faster pace than anticipated.  What that meant was that as I passed mile markers 15, 17, and 19, my friends were no where in sight.  As mile after mile dragged on I didn’t know if I would make it to the finish line.  Then with one mile left a miracle happened.  Amidst the 45,000 runners, my friends Emily and Kari, that were supposed to meet me at mile 19, found me!  That last mile was like running my very first.  Having my friends alongside me changed my race.  

Again, in a life of faith we get to run the race together and that makes all the difference.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to go on a retreat with some dear friends from seminary.  I was so blessed to be with friends and loved ones that make my heart rejoice.  I love my life of ministry, but times of transition are always an adjustment.  What makes it so hard?  We all need community to thrive and be healthy.  We all need community.  

So here is a bit of a tribute to the wonderful people in my life that I love so much.  Thank you for the reminder of why we need community and what it means to be a part of community.