It is not good for us to walk alone...we are made for relationship. I have found that God's manifest love and grace often is visceral through community...deep relationships...life on life...sharing and caring for each other's burdens.
3 months ago, Lindsay and I opened up our home to a group of people who have desire to "show up" with the truth of our lives. There's lots of fear...but the desire for it is bigger than what often causes us to run from each other with our pain and shame and pose with how "ok" or "fine" we are.
One of my brothers shared this with our community today (not sure where he read it):
When Scripture talks about Church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the Kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, go on quests together. They hang out together, in each others homes. When Peter was sprung from prison " he went to the house of Mary the mother of John" where the church had gathered to pray for his release (Acts12:12).
Another description of the early church: "All believers were one in heart" Acts 4:23. A camaraderie was being expressed, a bond. It means they all loved the same thing, they all wanted the same thing, and they bonded together to find it, come hell or high water.
We are so blessed by this group...I wanted you to meet them. This was taken on our back deck...crazy that we get to be outside!
