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Reflections

Welcome to the JCPC Daily Reflections Blog. Reflections are daily devotionals authored by JCPC pastors, staff and members and provide insight, guidance and comfort to help you make it through each day. If you’d like to receive Reflections each day via email,  provide your email address.

Wednesday, August 19 2020

How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!  -Psalm 133:1, NIV

 

How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! 

- Psalm 133:1, The Message

 

As I've shared in recent sermons, I am rereading Eugene Peterson's classic book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. In yesterday's devotional reading, Peterson focused on Psalm 133, which contains the words above. Using the same poignant language, he employed in writing The Message translation of the Bible, he wrote these insights about being a part of a community of faith:

 

  • No Christian is an only child.
  • The question is not "Am I going to be a part of a community of faith?" but "How am I going to live in this community of faith?"
  • Community is essential. Scripture knows nothing of the solitary Christian.
  • As we come to declare our love for God, we must face the unlovely and lovely fellow sinners whom God loves and commands us to love.
  • Living together in a way that evokes the glad song of Psalm 133 is one of the greatest and arduous tasks before Christ's people. Nothing requires more attention and energy. It is easier to do almost anything else.
  • Somewhere between there is community -- a place where each person is taken seriously, learns to trust others, depend on others, be compassionate with others, rejoice with others.
  • Our community with one another consist solely in what Christ has done to both of us. (quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Monday night I witnessed this pleasant beauty of sisters and brothers "getting along" when our Session met. It seems like every meeting we have now requires us to deal with the very complex issues of how to faithfully be the church in this time of pandemic. I believe our Session got along, not because we always agree on everything, (we don't) -- but because of our connection in Christ and our desire to be the community and body of Christ in this place. It was wonderful to behold!

 

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, you have called us together to be your community of faith. Help us this day to love each other as sisters and brothers in Christ - even when that is hard. We pray this in the strong name of Christ. Amen.

Posted by: AT 11:18 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
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