For as long as I can remember, I have subscribed to the school of thought that one’s relationship with God is personal. I have often eschewed organized religion and consequently church because of this belief. And I still believe how one comes to and relates to God is a deeply personal thing.
That said, today, I was reminded of the value of church and the community that comes with it. That got me thinking about what being part of my church’s community has meant to me and why and what that all means. And now I’ve to write about it so it can stop floating around my head.
I continue to believe a person’s relationship with God is personal. How we communicate, connect, worship, give thanks—all those things ultimately come down to what we feel in our heart and the choices we make in our lives. A building or a set of rules and regulations, what other people see us do are really not key.
However, after searching for and finding a church home, I began to better understand why I needed it in the first place. Initially, I thought it would be a good way to meet people, especially in a culture deeply rooted in church related connections, and to get more formalized guidance in learning the bible.
What I have learned is that finding a church home is much more than finding a place to show up, hear the good word and meet a few people. For me, it was about becoming part of a community and not necessarily a community of people who share my demographics and chosen faith, but rather a community of people who share my same interests in how to pursue a better relationship with God and our community as whole.
My parents taught me God is Love and God is in us. It is concept that has fundamentally stayed with me all my life, whether or not I’ve always understood it. Over my life I have made connections and formed communities of sorts that provided me with great support and many good lessons about love. But I must admit, very few of these communities have really directly helped me further my connection to or understanding of God. The understanding love part, they helped me with in abundance, but the God part, I was still really pursuing on my own. And I was pretty much okay with that.
By finding a church community and investing myself in a church home I have found much more than a place to go on Sunday. I have found people who inspire me to learn more, teach more and say more about God. It has help make clear that my path to God is to follow Christ. And for me that has been a really cool thing.
My favorite teaching from Christ is from Matthew 22:36-40:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Basically, the lesson is, love God and love each other and everything else will fall into place. An awesome lesson and one I try to follow.
What I particularly appreciate about my church community is that the people in it really take this lesson to heart. It is frequently repeated in services along with a related piece of scripture, 1 John 4:20. The gist there, again, is we need to love each other (for another essay but important to note—regarding that love each other part, it really means everyone, no caveats). And while I have been blessed in this life with an abundance of love, despite my many flaws and regrettable transgressions, I have never before experienced such a genuine feeling of love from casual acquaintances or even veritable strangers. Your family is fairly obligated to love you and your good friends know you and have made a conscious choice to love you, warts and all. But people who don’t know you, technically, have no obligation to even be nice to you, much less love you (Christians, actually do, but that’s for yet another essay). So when you have community that gives you love whether or not they know you well, it is remarkable and helpful and can, ultimately, bring you closer to God. There is a type of closeness that can only be found from community, not in study or even prayer. That is not to say you can’t get as close to God by study or prayer—it’s just a distinct type of closeness. I am so very grateful to have found that type of church community.
I found this church home through friends and have developed more friendships at this church. However, it is a good sized and growing church, so I don’t know everyone and some of the folks I know, I don’t know as well as I’d like. Still, I must express, how much I appreciate the feeling of walking into a place filled with love. Whether you walk into this church wearing sweatpants and a dirty t-shirt or a dress shirt and tie, or your grandmothers pearls and a tea length dress, or a micro-mini and stripper stilettos, you will be welcomed with the same smiles and the same open arms. This community will pray with you and for you and for people they do not know and will never meet, if you but ask—you don’t even have to tell them why. They will fill your house with boxes of diapers and bring food for days when you have a baby. Some in this community suffered significant losses due to the tornados last Spring, yet those same people were out organizing and providing helping hands for other tornado victims outside of the church. This is a really great community. I am so thankful to have found it.
Today, I was, once again, reminded of the importance and value of community in one’s life and humbled by demonstration of God’s love by this particular church community. Today, I did not even want to go to church. In fact, yesterday, I’d decided I would take a break and maybe just catch the service online. However, when I tucked my daughter in, she asked about the progression of the next day and what we would be doing after church so I felt that was good reminder I really should go. And even though I was up before 7am, I puttered around long enough to actually be about 10 minutes late to the 9:30 service. I was not motivated to get there. My mood was a grey as the weather and it showed on my face.
Yet, from the moment I walked into the building, I was greeted with love. Friends walked up to say 'hello' and rightfully, tease me about the ridiculous mess that is my purse. And the service's message, coincidentally, was perfectly suited to my current state of mind. But most notably, a woman, of whom I’m quite fond but primarily know through working with her in the children’s area, tapped me on the shoulder during the final songs and gave me the biggest, most needed hug. She said I looked like I needed it, and I so very much did, though I hadn’t realized how desperately until I got it. She didn’t ask me to explain why I might need it, didn’t stop to wonder whether I deserved it, she just gave it freely, with love, the way we’ve been all been tasked. And I am grateful. I am grateful to her and to the community filled with people just like her and for a church that teaches that community that to love God is to love each other.
That said, today, I was reminded of the value of church and the community that comes with it. That got me thinking about what being part of my church’s community has meant to me and why and what that all means. And now I’ve to write about it so it can stop floating around my head.
I continue to believe a person’s relationship with God is personal. How we communicate, connect, worship, give thanks—all those things ultimately come down to what we feel in our heart and the choices we make in our lives. A building or a set of rules and regulations, what other people see us do are really not key.
However, after searching for and finding a church home, I began to better understand why I needed it in the first place. Initially, I thought it would be a good way to meet people, especially in a culture deeply rooted in church related connections, and to get more formalized guidance in learning the bible.
What I have learned is that finding a church home is much more than finding a place to show up, hear the good word and meet a few people. For me, it was about becoming part of a community and not necessarily a community of people who share my demographics and chosen faith, but rather a community of people who share my same interests in how to pursue a better relationship with God and our community as whole.
My parents taught me God is Love and God is in us. It is concept that has fundamentally stayed with me all my life, whether or not I’ve always understood it. Over my life I have made connections and formed communities of sorts that provided me with great support and many good lessons about love. But I must admit, very few of these communities have really directly helped me further my connection to or understanding of God. The understanding love part, they helped me with in abundance, but the God part, I was still really pursuing on my own. And I was pretty much okay with that.
By finding a church community and investing myself in a church home I have found much more than a place to go on Sunday. I have found people who inspire me to learn more, teach more and say more about God. It has help make clear that my path to God is to follow Christ. And for me that has been a really cool thing.
My favorite teaching from Christ is from Matthew 22:36-40:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Basically, the lesson is, love God and love each other and everything else will fall into place. An awesome lesson and one I try to follow.
What I particularly appreciate about my church community is that the people in it really take this lesson to heart. It is frequently repeated in services along with a related piece of scripture, 1 John 4:20. The gist there, again, is we need to love each other (for another essay but important to note—regarding that love each other part, it really means everyone, no caveats). And while I have been blessed in this life with an abundance of love, despite my many flaws and regrettable transgressions, I have never before experienced such a genuine feeling of love from casual acquaintances or even veritable strangers. Your family is fairly obligated to love you and your good friends know you and have made a conscious choice to love you, warts and all. But people who don’t know you, technically, have no obligation to even be nice to you, much less love you (Christians, actually do, but that’s for yet another essay). So when you have community that gives you love whether or not they know you well, it is remarkable and helpful and can, ultimately, bring you closer to God. There is a type of closeness that can only be found from community, not in study or even prayer. That is not to say you can’t get as close to God by study or prayer—it’s just a distinct type of closeness. I am so very grateful to have found that type of church community.
I found this church home through friends and have developed more friendships at this church. However, it is a good sized and growing church, so I don’t know everyone and some of the folks I know, I don’t know as well as I’d like. Still, I must express, how much I appreciate the feeling of walking into a place filled with love. Whether you walk into this church wearing sweatpants and a dirty t-shirt or a dress shirt and tie, or your grandmothers pearls and a tea length dress, or a micro-mini and stripper stilettos, you will be welcomed with the same smiles and the same open arms. This community will pray with you and for you and for people they do not know and will never meet, if you but ask—you don’t even have to tell them why. They will fill your house with boxes of diapers and bring food for days when you have a baby. Some in this community suffered significant losses due to the tornados last Spring, yet those same people were out organizing and providing helping hands for other tornado victims outside of the church. This is a really great community. I am so thankful to have found it.
Today, I was, once again, reminded of the importance and value of community in one’s life and humbled by demonstration of God’s love by this particular church community. Today, I did not even want to go to church. In fact, yesterday, I’d decided I would take a break and maybe just catch the service online. However, when I tucked my daughter in, she asked about the progression of the next day and what we would be doing after church so I felt that was good reminder I really should go. And even though I was up before 7am, I puttered around long enough to actually be about 10 minutes late to the 9:30 service. I was not motivated to get there. My mood was a grey as the weather and it showed on my face.
Yet, from the moment I walked into the building, I was greeted with love. Friends walked up to say 'hello' and rightfully, tease me about the ridiculous mess that is my purse. And the service's message, coincidentally, was perfectly suited to my current state of mind. But most notably, a woman, of whom I’m quite fond but primarily know through working with her in the children’s area, tapped me on the shoulder during the final songs and gave me the biggest, most needed hug. She said I looked like I needed it, and I so very much did, though I hadn’t realized how desperately until I got it. She didn’t ask me to explain why I might need it, didn’t stop to wonder whether I deserved it, she just gave it freely, with love, the way we’ve been all been tasked. And I am grateful. I am grateful to her and to the community filled with people just like her and for a church that teaches that community that to love God is to love each other.
