I pulled up the last piece I wrote on Community, read it, and thought to myself…that’s pretty good. Here is a part of what I had to say…and it’s still true for me…
“Tomorrow morning I’ll do what I do every Friday morning. The only exception is when I am out of town. I will get up, feed the animals, and then head for Pearl’s where 4-5 guys will act like they’re glad to see me. We’ll tease and hassle each other because that’s what guys do, and then we’ll get down to the business of helping each other sort out our lives in a godly way. These guys are my “band of brothers.”
Our faith is a faith of incarnation. The Message translates John 1:14 as, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood…” God is with us through Jesus, and Jesus promised that in his absence, when two or three of his followers are gathered together, there he is in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) Something happens when believers gather together and share their lives at a deeper level. It’s something that can’t happen when we’re sitting in our pews Sunday morning, nor does it happen in the same way when we’re serving the world. But it is the step which creates the most resistance within us. That resistance is a red flag for me, because I’ve found I’m usually resistant to what I need the most.
Dietrich Bonheoffer said, “Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.” When we surrender to the scriptural call to share our lives deeply with our brothers and sisters, something important happens to us as we give up our preconceived notions and trivial judgments. We begin to tell the truth about ourselves and hear others wrestle with their truth. Suddenly life is more than complaining about the weather…it is plunging below the surface to a place we instinctively hide from each other. It is a place of secrets and shame which poisons our lives and prevents us from living the lives God created us to live.
I saw a bumper sticker a few weeks ago that said, “We have to be friends—you know too much.” That’s the kind of trust that can slowly materialize as we wrestle together with our lives and is what creates deep friendships. It’s the kind of trust that gives the permission to know that if we were ever doing something really stupid and needed help at 3 a.m., these are the brothers and sisters I could call. We desperately long for that kind of trust, but the only way to create that trust is to take a leap of faith and trust the other person with our story. If someone doesn’t know too much about us, then we’re never going to experience the kind of Christian life the early Christians experienced. It will be OK, but it won’t be the kind of life-changing faith that makes the kind of difference God intends.
…What’s going to make church worth attending this week is we get to hear Mary Lou Kilmer’s take on the role of Christian community in her life. She’s chosen to share her life with a cadre of women on Wednesday afternoon for the last four years. It’s been a life changing experience, but if you want to hear how and why…well…you’ll have to come Sunday so you can hear Mary Lou tell her story in her own words.
Now for the other pieces of news on my desk…
Tracy Walthard, our Director of Children's Ministry, will have her VBS table set up this Sunday in the fellowship hall to field any questions that you may have, take sign-ups for volunteers and provide additional information regarding Vacation Bible School.
PARENTS - Here are a few things you need to know . . .
- Registration for Vacation Bible School is ON-LINE ONLY Don’t be caught by surprise. Log onto www.andrewpres.org where you will find a registration link. Space is limited.
- Cost is $35 per child, or $30 per child for families of two or more.
- JUNE 27TH—JULY 1ST, 9:00-11:30 AM St. Andrew will be transformed into “The Hometown of Nazareth—Where Jesus was a Kid”.
- This exciting program is for children who have completed Kindergarten-5th grade. Scholarships are available—please contact the church office.
With that…you really do know what I know…
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