I enjoy being alone. Don’t misunderstand; it’s not that I don’t like people. I was called to a work that is about
people, and I don’t resent that for a moment. Though as an introvert, my energy level can drain away if I
am always with others. You probably
have heard me speak of my love for the outdoors. I find mountains, streams, rocks, and trees to be good
companions from time to time. They
help revitalize my soul when I have grown weary and tired. But I couldn’t live alone apart from
human contact. It doesn’t take
long and I want to see my wife and children, spend time with friends and
family, or just interact with the people of God and/or our community. I’ve been wired that way. As God put it, “It’s not good that man
should live alone.”
There are many and various reasons God hard-wired us to be with
others:
When I’m alone I forget how selfish, prideful, self-centered, etc
I am and can become. Being around
people reminds me that life is not just about me.
People help me learn.
It always amazes me how a good question or comment from the youngest of
children to the most mature of adults can help me see the things of God and
life in a new light. Wisdom, the
biblical kind, the kind I want, doesn’t come from solitude, but by learning how
to live life with God and others.
People can encourage me and share the grace and mercy of God with
me. Indeed, the “keys” of the church are just that, the
gift of one human proclaiming the forgiveness of God to another, as if from God
Himself.
I am often inspired and challenged by others to excel all the more
in my marriage, parenting, work, attitude, and all areas of life. So much color is added to life by
others and I’d hate to live in the dreariness and “grayness” of a world without others.
Countless good things can come about by being together, all of
which can and have been twisted by our sin (this is an understatement). Nevertheless, God still works through the sinful people He has redeemed and made saints
to bring comfort, grace, healing, and redemption to others. Thus He speaks through the author of
Hebrews, “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
(10:24-25).”
We desire that the disciples of Christ who call St. Andrews home,
are disciples that love, bless, grow, trust and go. We want to encourage and equip our
disciples to grow into these characteristics by developing habits that
transform us into disciples. Right
now we are encouraging working on the habit of “spending one hour each week
growing in Christ with others” so that we can become disciples that grow.
We have made some changes recently
in our Sunday worship and discipleship schedule in order to make connections
with others easier within our church, especially for those who are new to St.
Andrews. I’m sure it has been a
challenge to adapt. We’ve asked everyone
to block Sunday morning off as a time for worship and a time to further connect
with God and one another at St. Andrews through word and prayer. The purpose is to equip, inspire, and encourage each other to become disciples that live out the hope found in Christ as we connect to a community and world in need of the Gospel.
Pastor Dan
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