MEDITATION:
Written by John Ortberg, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker. This is an excerpt from his work “Care Instructions for a Life Worth Living.”
We have been invited into a fellowship of love. This is why Jesus says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” In the Bible, a person’s name generally stands for his or her character and identity. To gather in Jesus’ name means to relate to other people with the same spirit of servanthood, submission, and delight that characterizes Jesus in the Trinity. Whenever that happens, Jesus says, he can’t just stand idly by. He is always a part of it, basking in it, cheering it on. A community of loving people is God’s signature. This is why the experience of authentic community is so life-giving. We are taking our place in fellowship with Life himself. When I am in isolation, I feel lonely. When I am in community, I experience what might be called “fullness of heart.” The human heart is forever empty if it is closed in upon itself. In community—the divine community especially—a heart comes alive. To experience community is to know the joy of belonging, the delight at being known and loved, the opportunity for giving and growing, and the safety of finding a true home.
PRAYER:
Written by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ((1929-1968), a minister and activist for the American civil rights movement.
Ever-present God, you called us to be in relationship with one another and promised to dwell wherever two or three are gathered. In our community, we are many different people; we come from many different places, have many different cultures. Open our hearts that we may be bold in finding the riches of inclusion and the treasures of diversity among us. We pray in faith. Amen.
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