True friends experience each other as being part of themselves in some profound way.
Spiritual Companions, David Benner
This aptly describes the way I’ve felt over the last few weeks as I’ve had a deep sense of connection to those who come to mind and remain on my heart...in the most ordinary of moments.
In feeding the birds.
In washing my hands.
In making sourdough bread.
In listening to our Indy Trinity Worship Spotify playlist.
In the eating of plain old white rice.
I believe this is the spirit of community experienced through devotion to Jesus and one another. At various points in life, deep connections have been made with God and those around me as we have devoted ourselves to Jesus and one another, guided by the Spirit to join the mission of God in the world.
And this is who we are as
wanderers and wonderers who gather to discover and embody the love of Jesus in the world.
In spending time together - not just physically, but conversationally - in our contexts, elements of life and faith merge together through love and sharing life. This kind of friendship leads to the experience of being a part of one another in a profound way.
Luke’s account of believers gathering together after the resurrection in Acts 2.42-27 highlights the importance of friendship.
Take a moment to read Acts 2.42-47.
………
We’ve heard this story many times. It is the iconic image of the early church. While that may be the dominant narrative and a constant challenge to radical discipleship, I’m sure those earliest believers felt this way of being - this way of life together - was quite ordinary. Their attention was steadfast...on the ways of Jesus. They experienced him in what was taught and in their communion with one another, experienced around the table and their shared communion with God in prayer (that attunement to the Spirit). All that they had witnessed - the signs and wonders - caused awe to animate their lives, each and every one of them. The apostles were now undertaking the “wonders and signs” previously brought about through Jesus.
The Spirit was present, animating their lives.
Placing confidence in Christ propelled them to share all things in common. They found themselves RELOCATED in Christ, at home with God and one another in their context, participating in the mission of God in the world RECONCILING all things, and through the REDISTRIBUTION of goods and wealth. [If you’re not familiar with Christian Community Development, these 3 R’s are the basics. We catch a glimpse of this in the life of the early church!]
In their attention to one another - in the ordinary - they occupied sacred space. The temple - where God resided - was no longer confined to a particular building, but wherever they were. The sacred was now in their homes as they took in nourishment with extreme joy and singleness of heart, honoring God and extending grace to all people, not just those they “counted” among them. The Lord was gathering - relocating - people into Christ those who were being saved from the evils which obstruct receptance to Messianic deliverance.
The Kingdom of God reigned among them. It was lived into existence, as the Spirit guided them in ordinary service.
……
Sometimes we’re oblivious to the sacredness of the ordinary and these ordinary moments with one another. But something about this pandemic brings the work of the Spirit to the forefront of our lives - to the space between us which is sacred - even when we’re physically distant.
In this sacred space, through devotion to the teachings of Jesus and to one another, we are invited to engage in our practices, part of which state:
The Spirit of God has inspired a story of hope and redemption, declaring what God has already done, is now doing, and God’s promise for the reconciliation of all creation. In that story we learn both who we are and what we are called to do as followers of Jesus. We hold space for varying expressions of faith, including a diversity of practice and thought, for all people in our church family. We embody the love of Jesus in the world, SERVING in ways aligned with our gifts and passions, PARTICIPATING in God re-narrating the world, living the Kingdom into existence through faithful presence in everyday spaces, with simplicity, authenticity, and creativity.
The elements of life and faith merge together through love and sharing, giving way to participation. Many times, we stay attuned to the way the Spirit is guiding us and animating our lives - especially in space between - through the practice of discernment.
Discernment means making a discriminating choice between two or more good options, seeking the best for this moment...Discernment does not bring us to absolute certainty, but rather operates in a climate of faith. Seeking to follow God’s call [or the “bigger story,” the “greater good”] moves us toward that which is better for us individually and for our world, and assures us that God will accompany us into the unknown.
The Way of Discernment, Elizabeth Liebert
Have you ever wondered which direction to go in joining the bigger story?
If you’re like me, more often than not, when asked what my prayer has looked like about such matters, I think, “what prayer? Oh, um...what a novel idea.” And other times, I recognize that in devotion to the teachings of Jesus and to one another, the Spirit has been at work in the space between us as
You enflesh God for me.
What good news! What a beautiful picture of community. The practice of discernment becomes a way of life as we allow the Spirit to be our guide in community, in the sacred space between us.
This week’s practice is for individual discernment matters, to experience the Spirit as Guide. While all discernment matters are really communal in nature, there is another process of discernment for matters communities hold particularly in common. Trinity’s Leadership Team uses the discernment process as we allow the Spirit to guide and animate our lives, communally. This week’s practice is simply an introduction to walking through discernment prayer.
May the Spirit be our Guide.
(By Melissa Millis)