Are you aware our church’s slogan is: “Life
Together”? Do those words truly describe us? Or, do
you feel that is just a hope we’re aiming for? How
would you answer that?
Maybe the bigger question is, “Does life together
capture the heart of God?” Community
does seem to be a major hope of God for His people.
There are many Bible verses that clearly call us to
work toward community. Here are a few:
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live
together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be
sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and
humble.” (I Peter 3:8).
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor
free, nor is there male and female, for you are all
one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28).
“Live in harmony with one another.”(Romans 12:16).
When you read those, do you hear the heart of the
Father for us to have community? Why? Could it be
that community not only honors our Father, but also
is what is absolutely best for us? Do we need life
together?
What is the interest in TV show s about fighting
Zombies? I mean really? My little granddaughter was
taught the animal sounds early. “What does a cow
say?” “Moo!” “What does a cat say?” “Meow!” “What
does a doggie say?” “Woof!” And then my twisted
son-in-law would ask, “And what does a zombie say?”
And our little angel from heaven would suddenly
transform her face into a growling monster with her
hands up like claws and
she would answer, “Grrr!” (Obviously, my son-in-law
needs therapy.)
Why zombies shows? If you can endure all the gore,
what you soon discover is that the Walking Dead show
is more about community than monsters. The Walking
Dead show is about the value of being together . . .
Life Together. Is this a need in our lives?
God, too, has always valued community, the community
of a family, the community of the
church, the community of heaven.
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Why is community so important? My wife and I have
two quilts, both made for us by my Amish
grandmothers as wedding gifts. They are beautiful
and unique and hand-made. My grandmothers both
collected old, discarded, and worn out clothing of
diverse colors, cut them into series of patterns,
and then stitched them all together in a masterful
way. That which may have been trash to others became
part of a bigger plan of beauty. They could see the
beauty the old discarded fabric could become. Some
of you have been involved in such projects. You know
the work involved in quilting. You understand the
labor of love it took. Quilts are costly. The time,
the energy, the quality, the beauty of them grabs
you and they often become a treasured item within a
family for years. Sometimes, we even display them.
Quilters take what was laid aside, discarded, and
forgotten, and fashioned something that is quite
beautiful and unique.
God does a similar thing with our lives. He picks up
the pieces and sews us together.
A quilt, with all its different squares, is a
wonderful image of what God is doing with His
people. He brings us together, diverse and different
though we may be. Then He brings us together in
community, attaching us to one another in spiritual
friendship. Our God is creating a quilt.
Life Together is God’s nature. Life Together is
God’s hope for us. The only real question
becomes, is God’s hope for us your hope as well?
[Ron Otto, Preaching Minister
Lincoln Christian Church]
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