Community

One of the things I remember most about seminary was the large focus on community.  It was wonderful having so many people with whom I could share meals, go to class, and worship.  Naturally, many friendships came out of such a community, and we would often do many more activities together (e.g. bowling, flag football, hanging out on P3, etc.).  That sense of community was so important as part of my formation.  As Jesus said it Matthew 18:20, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

This idea of being together as part of a community is a big deal.  This is why we come together as a worship community on Sunday.  This is why we have parish dinners.  This is why we go on mission trips as a team or teams.  When Jesus sent out his disciples, he did not send them out on their own.  He did not say, "Here is your mission.  Go out and do all this work by yourself."  Instead, they were sent out two by two.

Being a follower of Jesus is not about doing work on our own.  We are not called to be one person representations of the church.  We are called to be the Church, the body of Christ.  As part of the confirmation class I am leading, I asked the youth to give some examples of what they liked about our church.  Every single answer they gave had something to do with belonging to the church community.  They felt accepted.  They could sense that they were a part of something greater than themselves.  They knew that they were part of the Church, and not just St. Timothy's.

Today I invite you to take advantage of being a part of a community.  This could be your church community, a dinner group, a book club, the people in your neighborhood, or whatever community you are a part of.  Take advantage of this opportunity to be with other people and find in them an expression of what it means to be part of the Church.