Embracing Community: God's Design for Connection

Devotional

Day 1: Created for Connection

In the Genesis narratives, we see that humans are inherently designed for relationships. The declaration that it is "not good" for man to be alone highlights our intrinsic need for companionship and community. This divine design calls us to seek and nurture connections with others. Our lives are enriched and fulfilled when we embrace the relationships God has placed in our paths. We are not meant to journey through life in isolation but to thrive in the warmth of community. [40:12]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

Reflection: Who in your life can you reach out to today to strengthen your connection and support each other in your journeys?

Day 2: Celebrating Diversity in Creation

The creation stories in Genesis allow for diversity and complexity beyond binary categories. God's creation is rich and varied, reminding us that our differences are part of the divine design and should be celebrated within our communities. Embracing diversity is not just about acceptance but about recognizing the beauty and strength that comes from our varied backgrounds and experiences. By celebrating diversity, we honor the Creator who made us all unique. [36:24]

1 Corinthians 12:14-18 (ESV): "For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose."

Reflection: How can you actively celebrate and embrace the diversity within your community today?

Day 3: The Church as a Place of Healing

The church can be a place of refuge and healing, where brokenness is embraced, and testimonies are shared. By fostering a community of vulnerability and grace, we create spaces for hope and healing, reflecting the love of Christ. Healing is not a solitary journey; it is found in the shared stories and support of a loving community. As we open our hearts to one another, we find strength and encouragement to overcome our struggles. [44:24]

James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Reflection: Is there a part of your life where you need healing? How can you invite your church community into this journey with you?

Day 4: Ambassadors of Connection

We are called to be ambassadors of connection, reaching out to those who are isolated and inviting them into the warmth of community. This is not just a call to action but a reflection of our very DNA, as we are created for relationships. By extending a hand of friendship and support, we embody the love and grace of God. Our mission is to ensure that no one feels alone, and everyone experiences the joy of belonging. [49:14]

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV): "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us."

Reflection: Who in your life might be feeling isolated? How can you reach out to them today to offer connection and support?

Day 5: Intentional Acts of Community

Let us be intentional in fostering connections, both within our church and beyond. Whether it's through sharing a meal, offering a listening ear, or simply being present, we can embody the love and grace of God in our interactions. Intentional acts of community are powerful expressions of God's love, and they create lasting bonds that reflect His kingdom on earth. As we engage in these acts, we become living testimonies of the transformative power of community. [51:18]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: What is one intentional act of community you can commit to this week to strengthen your relationships and reflect God's love?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound theme of community and connection, emphasizing that we are inherently designed for relationships. Reflecting on my personal journey, I shared how my life has been deeply intertwined with the church community, from my childhood through my college years. Even when I attempted to step away, God gently guided me back, illustrating the importance of community in our lives. This sense of belonging and connection is not just a personal preference but a divine design, as seen in the creation narratives of Genesis.

Genesis 1 and 2 offer us two creation stories, each highlighting different aspects of God's creative work. In Genesis 1, God creates in pairs, declaring each creation "good," and when humanity is created, it is deemed "very good." This narrative allows for diversity and complexity beyond binary categories, reminding us that God's creation is rich and varied. Genesis 2, on the other hand, begins with a solitary human, emphasizing that it is "not good" for one to be alone. This story underscores our intrinsic need for companionship and community, as God creates a partner for Adam, not just for marriage but for genuine companionship.

Our modern culture often views healing as a solitary journey, but the church can be a place of refuge and community, where brokenness is embraced, and healing is found through shared stories and testimonies. We are called to be ambassadors of connection, reaching out to those who are isolated and inviting them into the warmth of community. This is not just a call to action but a reflection of our very DNA, as we are created for relationships.

As we move forward, let us be intentional in fostering connections, both within our church and beyond. Whether it's through sharing a meal, offering a listening ear, or simply being present, we can embody the love and grace of God in our interactions. Remember, it is not good to be alone, and through Christ and our community, we never have to be.

Key Takeaways

1. EZ8&t=2412s'>[40:12]
2. Embracing Diversity in Creation: The creation stories in Genesis allow for diversity and complexity beyond binary categories. God's creation is rich and varied, reminding us that our differences are part of the divine design and should be celebrated within our communities.

3. The Role of the Church in Healing: The church can be a place of refuge and healing, where brokenness is embraced, and testimonies are shared. By fostering a community of vulnerability and grace, we create spaces for hope and healing, reflecting the love of Christ.

4. Being Ambassadors of Connection: We are called to be ambassadors of connection, reaching out to those who are isolated and inviting them into the warmth of community. This is not just a call to action but a reflection of our very DNA, as we are created for relationships.

5. Intentional Acts of Community: Let us be intentional in fostering connections, both within our church and beyond. Whether it's through sharing a meal, offering a listening ear, or simply being present, we can embody the love and grace of God in our interactions.

** [40:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:29] - Introduction and Personal Journey
[24:19] - College Experience and Community
[25:33] - The Blend of Traditional and Contemporary Worship
[26:13] - Prayer for Community
[29:39] - Scripture Reading: Genesis 2
[31:01] - Re-examining Genesis 2
[32:52] - Encounter at Starbucks
[34:41] - Created for Community
[36:44] - Exploring Genesis 1 and 2
[39:29] - The First "Not Good"
[42:02] - The Role of the Church
[45:16] - Communion and Community
[48:11] - Intergenerational Connections
[50:23] - Invitation to Reach Out

Sermon Clips

I had never known a life without the church without being with my church family and so going to college I had my friend Christina um but and I I know I had all these options I I had Christian groups I could go to there was a Wesley Foundation there a Methodist Church on campus but I was like I'm I'm going to try not going to church I'm going to see what life is like without and I started to get to know some people on my floor and talking and I wanted to go bowling on a Friday night so I'm talking to Christina I'm like hey Christina you want to go bowling and she's like uh well the marching band has this thing they're doing it's called inner Varsity I'm I'm going to that but you're welcome to join and I was like well it seems like a marching band thing it wasn't. [00:24:19]

God as we think about Community it's a hard thing for many of us who don't have as much Community as we might like or as many deep friendships we think of the people who used to be Community who have moved away or who have passed on from this life and I pray that you would encourage us today to take steps to be that Community for other people and to find that Community for ourselves God I pray that you would help us to remember that caring for ourselves nourishing ourselves loving the people that you have made us to be is such an important part of building your kingdom as we build up our own selves taking care of our own needs and Community being such an important need. [00:26:13]

Then the Lord God said it's not good that the human is alone I will make him a helper that is perfect for him so the Lord God God formed from the fertile land all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky and brought them to the human to see what he would name them the human gave each living being its name the human named all the livestock all the birds in the sky and all the wild animals but a helper perfect for him was nowhere to be found so the Lord God put the human into a deep and heavy sleep and took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh over it with the rib taken from the human the Lord God fashioned a woman and brought her to the human being. [00:29:39]

This is a text that is often read uh to support anti-trans beliefs um as well as anti-marriage equality uh but today we're going to re-examine it um as a narrative about who God is and who we are and what we're created for okay can we play in it just a little bit it's going to be okay all right let's pray gracious God you give us these holy scriptures that sometimes have been passed down and translated and shared in in such rigid ways that we cannot find our way out of them in this space we ask that you open our eyes and our hearts to hold these sacred texts in a playful way that we can explore and learn and grow more deeply in in our identity in you. [00:31:01]

So many years ago when I was living in Atlanta and I had been I was working brand new as a barista at Starbucks a woman came and ordered an iced venty unsweetened coffee and pretty quickly she came back and I could tell it was either going to be a tiid launched against me cuz something was wrong with the drink or she was going to just start crying I couldn't really tell what and she she basically said this was supposed to be unsweetened and I said oh okay no problem I can remake it for you and as I handed her the new drink the second thing happened she burst into tears before I knew it she was telling me that her dog was just diagnosed with cancer and that her husband was out of town so she had nobody to process it with. [00:32:52]

In Genesis 1 is the first creation story and in that God is creating in pairs so there's day and there's night there's land and there's and there's male and there's right and to all of these things the most important thing in my mind that you take from this passage is that God says to each of these things it is good and when when the male and female were created God actually goes a step further and says it is very good so if ever someone uses this text uh for there being only male and female right if they're saying that's the only way there is you can point out that even in this creation story when there is light and dark um Land and Sea we also know that we live in a world of Dusk and Dawn even though it's not in the scriptures that we live in a world of swamp and land marches even though it's not in scripture so God allows for diversity and complexity even in these binaries. [00:34:41]

Genesis 2 begins with one human and nothing has been created so it's actually do you see how we have two creation stories that contradict each other but nobody talks about that so Genesis 2 begins with one human um the name of the human is Adam which comes from the root word Adama which means ground so a very literal translation of of the term is the ground creature that is made in the image of God so there's actually no gender specified with it and some talmudic Scholars actually suggest that to be made in the image of God if you you look at Genesis 127 actually I'm going to do this who let's do a little bible thing somebody grab your bible genesis7 read it out I feel like I'm in junior high uh uh youth group with the Bible Wars yeah somebody got it wow we need to do this more often if you can go ahead I think I see Jennifer has it. [00:36:44]

So then when God puts Adam in a deep sleep many of our translations the one we read today many of them say they use the word rib but that that particular word is never used again for rib there's actually a different word for rib that's used in Genesis but in this particular translation we use the word rib for sometimes a a better again tamuda Scholars would say a better translation is the word side so God basically took one side of Adam splitting the Earth creature into male and female side so this scripture isn't about marriage and but it is about companionship that it's a reminder that we are created to be in relationship with one another that that we are not whole until we find ourselves in community with others because a has been split. [00:39:29]

The church can be a place of Refuge a place where Brokenness is not hidden but embraced that's why we actually share testimonies that's that's why I wanted us to do that because when someone tells their story of Brokenness or change or Redemption it creates a space in others to find Hope and healing how many of you just just we've only been doing it for six weeks but how many of you like testimonies become your favorite part of the service yeah there's no shame in that right because we're Community finding each other by the way when I ask you you have to say yes because do you see how important it is the church in its truest sense is a gift to the world a it's a community meant to be blessed and broken and freely given and friends that's what we're going to do in a moment we bless the bread we break it and we freely give it this is mirroring who we are as a church. [00:44:24]

Christian Community is not about withdrawing into this like isolated bubble where we don't deal with the outward world but it's about disrupting the epidemic of loneliness that is ravaging our world it's about living in Acts of love and connection and the church can be that healing space so that we're not alone but together in the work and part of it I I didn't I didn't see how many kids we had here today but we had a lot of kids and I see I'm not going to I'm not going to point you out but I see a lot of teenagers in in church today too and young adults and folks that have gray hair we're an intergenerational church and and there there were a lot of murmurings for that I'm sorry I was trying to be non-offensive we're an intergenerational church and part part of that is this beauty of of being together in the messiness of our lives and sharing it inner across the generations. [00:49:14]

If you're new here or if you're in a place where your life is just you're feeling really alone even sitting in this room room you're feeling alone know that you're never alone that even when you feel it God is with you the Bible's full of these things like in Hebrews never will I leave you never will I forsake you God says in Matthew I Am With You Always to the very end of the ages and this community is here for you too but you have to let us know first you have to share with somebody in vulnerability rather than retreating inward you have to say I'm feeling lonely take a step toward relationship and no it doesn't make you weird or odd it means you're honoring your very DNA because it is not good that we are alone we are created for relationships. [00:51:18]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?