“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.”
- Matthew 9:27-29
Encounters with Jesus changed people, and not just for a moment. It transformed them into something new. It healed them, changed them, and made them whole.
But these people did not just live new lives by themselves. They became a part of a community of disciples – the early Church – that encouraged them in their faith and to introduce new people to the power of God in their lives.
Just this week alone, I have heard people at our church reflect on why this community matters to them:
“I could go somewhere else, but I drive the extra miles to come to this church because we stand for things that inspire me, and that I believe in.”
“When my family was going through a hard time, I told everyone I knew that I was so thankful for my church. I don’t know what I would have done without this community.”
“It is because of the leadership opportunities that people are given at this church that they discover their gifts and important parts of their identity.”
Despite all our church has been through over these last two years, there are people who sit in our pews every week who have a deeper understanding of who Jesus is because of the space we cultivate.
Church is not just a place you go. It is something you are and something you do… with the help of others. Over the next few weeks, we are going to be going through a worship series called: To Be Or Not To Be The Church. We are invited not just to come to church each Sunday, but to be the Church in our daily lives. To encourage one another. To give others reason to hope in the risen Christ because we have experienced him for ourselves.
To Be Or Not To Be The Church… that is the question we will be wrestling with over the next four weeks. I hope you will join us.
