I think Church is a miracle. The idea that masses of people would choose to prioritize a steady path of faith with one another just for the sake of love is a mind-blowing phenomenon.
Is that a weird thing to say? I mean, people gather. They go to ball games and talk about their favorite teams between games. They observe sports seasons. Or politics. They rally around their tribe, red or blue, with loyalty and connectedness as they give each other knowing looks in group conversations, silently signally, “We’re in agreement; we’re on the same team.” Musicians, genres, ethnicities, demographics… the list goes on of ways people find a sense of belonging.
You think it’s your informed opinion that matters, but the truth is, you want to matter so you find your peeps. Pretty basic. Psychology 101.
Church is a miracle because it embraces that need for belonging (to satisfy our FOMO, if you want the trendy explanation) AND transcends that need at the same time. It gets to the root of that need.
“Need” is a fallen word, if you will. We’ve needed to belong since we left Eden, because we walked away from the Source of our soul’s joy. God. Connection with God. We were created imago dei, in the image of God. What image is that, since God is Spirit? The imprint of God’s character. We have a God-shaped heart designed for love, belonging, purpose, and life.
Truth. You’ve never not belonged. (Double negative intended). You’ve always belonged. (Grammar buffs relieved). That’s why the scripture is so full of words like “awaken” and “see” and “restore” and “remember” to name a few.
You can walk away from love.
Or you can come home.
Church, at its best, points the way home. It’s the continuation of the Jesus story, the manifestation of Christ in this world, the opportunity to feel clean and whole. MLK said his famous line, “I have a dream” and went on to describe the impossible. Church is where we dream together and take a stroll through Eden. It’s a God connection that knows no bounds. No cliques. No teams. Just the love of God connecting people, all people.
Life is hard. Life is good. Worship time on Sunday and anytime we connect through the week, recalibrates our perspective so that we can draw our strength from God and have the strength to help each other through thick and thin.
I hope your soul sings today.
Love,
Pastor Kim