Last night I was in charge of  coordinating a churchwide “connecting event” that signaled the end of summer and the advent of fall. Homemade cookies, fresh popped corn and eight flavors of snow cones awaited us, but first we all crammed into the Chapel, where our pastor shared these words: “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”  (Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome 1:11-12)

1. I long to see you. How many people would give anything to experience a sense of community, a spiritual family, to be known and to really know others?
2. That I may impart to you a gift to strengthen you. As I enter a gathering  of people, is my tendency to consider how God might use me to uplift others, or what I will receive from them?
3. That we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.  My dear friend, who is suffering right now, appeared at my side as I was busy with volunteers–she faithfully “showed up”, which encouraged the rest of us. Today was my turn to be physically present, which bolstered her soul for those few hours.
4. Both yours and mine. Your faith matters to me. My faith matters to you. “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16

Afterward, a couple of hundred people poured out into the Gathering Hall and the still-summery evening air, greeting and meeting and eating and feeling a little lighter. Each one of us can become more intentional about initiating connections in one-to-one or one-to-few relationships and small groups of various sizes and shapes and purposes. We must be brave enough to say, “Hello, I’m new” and cognizant enough to say, “Hello, how can I help?”

Today’s Ebenezer: Twenty-three years in community with other fellow pilgrims and strugglers at Grace Community Church of Nashville.

“Healing is impossible in loneliness; it is the opposite of loneliness. Conviviality is healing. To be healed we must come with all the other creatures to the feast of Creation.” Wendell Berry