Dear Friends in Christ-
This morning as I sat down to write to you, I decided to look for
Bible verses about community. At the top
of my Google search was Hebrews 10:24-25.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good
deeds, not giving up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one
another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I nearly did a spit-take onto my laptop! I want to encourage and be
encouraged, but it’s in the midst of intentionally not meeting together. I
considered looking for something more in tune with our times but decided to
stick with what I had. The writer to the Hebrews was concerned that as people
eagerly anticipated the second coming of Christ, (on the Day that is
approaching,) they would stop meeting together as the church. The author wanted
the readers to understand that as they waited, they could be up to something
good. And they could continue to build a loving community that would
support each of them as they strived to be faithful followers.
God’s people have always known that we are stronger when we have a
community to support us. We need each other for “mutual conversation and
consolation” as Luther put it. So, when we can’t meet, we feel a loss and we
may miss opportunities to share love and care.
Being church isn’t dependent on proximity. We can be community even when
we aren’t able to meet together, but we will do it better if we share our
ideas, our needs and our labor.
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