2022 Together – Jonathan’s address

By Jonathan | February 23, 2022

TwoGether Sunday

Let me open by reading from the fourth gospel, chapter 17 (John 17:20-23). The words of Jesus in his great prayer on the eve of his passion:

²⁰“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, ²¹that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. ²²The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— ²³I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

When we peek back through the ages of the church to the first cells of gathered believers what do we see? We see people who have awaken to the news that Jesus is the true king of the world. Caesar was not what he claimed. That Rome, the powers behind Rome, and the forces at play in the darkest regions of the spiritual realm had been judged, weighed, and found wanting. That, church, is the good news. That is the good news that turned the world upside down, preached throughout in the lives of the Apostles and recorded in the pages of our Holy Book. How did the people respond? They believed this good news and formed new tribes gathering together in the homes and public spaces of their lives, some weekly, some daily. These were the front lines of the good news as it advanced a world shrouded in darkness and death. These were also the relationships, support systems, and insurance plans for the people of God.

I see this as the recipe for creating a thriving and true church body. It is living life together in ways that are different than the rest of the world. Who else in the world has regular get togethers where the focus is on demonstrating God’s charitable and hospitable love? Our Neighborhood Groups I believe are our greatest resource for showing the world our togetherness. They are designed for people to be connected. Scripture says that when we are one, then the world will know God. If we live life like the rest of the world lives life, sperate, alone, fighting each other for top spot on the mountain of success, then we are useless to God. But when we come together in community under the banner of God to demonstrate his love we can become a force for his kingdom. The original churches were essentially a vast network of neighborhood groups.

Today, my challenge for you all is to join a neighborhood group. We have them listed on our website, the host, and times they meet. If we are not living life together outside of the walls of this building then we are not fulfilling the vision of the church as laid out in the stories we hold most dearly to our identity.

We also have other ways of expressing togetherness. The next obvious is our studygroups where we grow deeper together. If you desire a mentorship like experience to help catapult your spiritual growth we can certainly assist you with that.

Our men’s and women’s ministries will have several opportunities throughout the year to gather together.

Let’s change the world together starting right here in our little corner of creation by refocusing our lives around the togetherness of the church so that the world may see our love and come to know him through it.

Thanks.