Good morning church. I hope that you had a great week. The weather is supposed to be good today so go out there and enjoy it. Go for a walk, ride your bike, go to the pool, work in the yard, or just sit outside and relax for a while.
I wonder when the last time you have done any of those things? I know, look who is talking, right? I have spent a lot of my life racing from one thing to another, often without pausing to enjoy the so-called little things in life. However, I am not sure that those are so aptly named. In fact, it is often those things that can make our lives more enjoyable and fulfilling. So can spending time with friends. Eating together, serving together, or just hanging out. Playing games or putting a puzzle together with friends can be a lot of fun, too. Joking around, laughing, giving each other a hard time, learning fun and interesting things about each other, and just being together. In fact, it can be the sort of thing where you lose track of time and the next thing you know it is late at night. It is called getting lost in the moment. And, you know what, it is a really good thing.
The early church was known for its fellowship. We read about that beginning in Acts 2. It is there we learn that they were to devoted to the apostle’s doctrine, they prayed together, and they broke bread together. They were committed to spending time together. However, I am quite certain that whenever we think of the early church meeting together in one another’s homes, we typically picture it as some kind of Sunday school class. And maybe there was an element of that. What we don’t often think about is that it is possible they were focusing on building their relationships with one another. Could it be possible that there was friendly rivalries in the first church as to who made the best dessert or lamb chops? Could it be possible that their fellowships were actually fun and not like some kind of funeral dirge that we often picture them as? I know I am sounding heretical now but what if they even played games and laughed once in a while? I know, call the SBC and check my credentials. But seriously folks, if they were committed to the apostle’s doctrine then one huge aspect of that is as seen in Scriptures is to love one another. That is often seen in doing life together not simply enduring another lecture or sitting around acting all pious. As Christians, we should be the most joyful people around. We have been forgiven our crushing debt of sin and have been given a new life in Christ. Yes, we are supposed to go and tell as many people as we can the Good News. But we are also to encourage one another, to love one another, and to just go through life together. Sometimes, the modern church can be really proficient at being there for others when they go through bad times, but are often too busy to be there through the good. What if, as the family of God, we became more intentional about spending family time together? What if we shared our lives together, seeking to build relationships, encouraging one another in our faith? What if we learned to both laugh and cry with one another?
The Christian life is meant to be lived out in the context of the body and not in isolation. I encourage you this week to do something with someone else from church. Take a chance, who knows, you might just have some fun. And, the body might just become a bit stronger and life a little more enjoyable. Something to think about.
Larry
Love God. Love others. Impact our community. Change the world.
Pastor Larry
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