"It's True"

I just left "The Gathering" (it is our Wednesday evening time of communion, worship and prayer). Every week I rediscover that what Jesus said is true: "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them" (Matthew 18:20). It's true! I just had a fresh encounter with Christ. Jesus shows up where his Body gathers to seek him.

If there is one truth that is hard for we individualistic, private American Christians to hear it is that Jesus' is where two or three gather. We want to experience him all by ourselves. Perhaps we lack God's presence not because God is withholding himself from us but because we do not believe him. O, we say, we do, but our actions say otherwise. We say we want God to be close and real. We say we pray for God to give us his peace and his strength, but then we neglect the path he has given us for experiencing his presence. What is that path? Community; Connecting with other Followers of Christ in a way that goes beyond "Hi and How are You". We cannot grow spiritually in isolation. He has given us the Church not as a place to go on Sunday, but as a Body to grow in and with for good or bad, pretty or ugly.

To those of you who know what I am talking about, I encourage you....press on! "Do not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing" as Hebrews says. Rather keep on connecting. Keep on being real. You will find Jesus presence and because of you others will find the same.

To those of you who do not know yet what I am talking about, I encourage you...Go find out for yourself that it's (Matthew 18:20) true!