There is a great verse in the opening of the book of Acts telling about the disciples meeting in the upper room. It is the disciples, women, Jesus' mother, and his brothers (who are mentioned in the Gospels only once). This is the early Christian community, probably 15 or 20 people. They have lost their leader, their hope, and their purpose. However coming together as a prayerful group, God is real to them and they find His life giving presence. This is what it means to be the church.
It comes often through the power of connection.
We had our men's retreat a couple of weeks ago. At the beginning of the Retreat we asked each man where they were emotionally and spiritually, and what they hoped to realize in the retreat. One guy said that he needed to feel connected with others and to overcome boredom and loneliness in his life. He seemed sad, depressed and without much energy.
The other day I received an e mail from him. He said "In the closing exercise, we were asked to focus on that we needed to do to help us open up what should be next in our journey. My answer to myself was to focus on my relationship with God and with myself...
Things began to change for me. I immersed myself in support meetings, got out of bed in the morning, exercised, talked with a friend at a recent Men's Meeting and found that my professional background is a "fit" for what he and I can do together. I'm improving my relations with my family, developing new friendships and in general am happier and more connected that I have been in years."
God works miracles when we are open, prayerful, willing to take risks, and are connected. This is what it means to be the church. |