Together

Coming together with other people of like mind or interests is usually a great pleasure. There is information and news to share, greetings to be given and a surety in knowing others share your passions and joys. We have in some of our recent times of worship been reminded that the early church shared great joy in being together. They shared meals together, and news of the growing church; they enjoyed praying together and breaking bread; they looked forward to the time when in these gatherings the Apostles would share with them the teaching of Jesus, or the stories of healings, deliverances or miracles.

It seems to me that they had a real hunger for anything they could glean about Jesus their Saviour. Their eyes, their ears, their hearts and their spirits were open to all that brought them a greater understanding of the One who had so wonderfully given His life, so that they might be forgiven and restored as sons and daughters of the Living God.

My friends, nothing has changed, in as much as God still offers to all the way of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. However, what has changed is us! Do you find that the desire to be with God’s own people, His church, is not as strong as once it was? I know that we are encouraged from many sources to be ‘light’ and ‘salt’ by spending time with non-christians. I know that this provides opportunities to evangelise, to share our faith and our hope in Jesus. All these are good things, but let us not neglect the coming together of those who “have all things in common.”

When we come together we strengthen and encourage one another. The “Purpose Driven Church” is one that spends time together, not just in worship and study of the scriptures, important as these are, but time loving one another, understanding one another, sharing with one another.

As you read this letter some of us will perhaps still be sharing together in a church weekend, a beginning I hope of more time spent together - God’s people, one family, one in Christ Jesus her Lord.

May the Lord bless you all.
Howard

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