July 25, 2021

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For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 Yes, you are our glory and joy! – 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

There is no better compliment than to know that you are the glory and joy of heaven. You, the person that you are, is loved, forgiven, and known by God. Paul writes to the church, the people of faith at Thessalonica, and lets them know that at the Lord Jesus coming, he will have something in which to boast, those who have come to know God’s grace.

People are the greats treasure that any of us can know. We don’t give ourselves enough credit, we don’t give others enough credit, but the truth is we all need one another, and God knows that. It is why we have this innate sense to be in community. Even the ‘loners’ out there, or the extreme introverts, though their community may be smaller there is no greater joy than sharing life with someone else.

A Christian should reflect that great joy of living in a community, it’s the reason we enjoy gathering together, and as Methodists it’s one of the reasons we long for the days of the ‘covered dish.’ There is no great way that we know to show love than to feed one another, and enjoy the conversations that nourish our souls. This is why I believe we are drawn to that line in Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, and to the breaking of bread…” We call this the pinnacle of the Christian community the “Acts 2 church,” but what I think we love about it is the sense of true community.

Community is something that has been a struggle for us to gather back into, and some of us are beginning to find it, but it is needed more than ever, to know that we have someone with which to share life, the ups and downs, to know that with them, we can experience the joy and glory of the kingdom that is to come, because we know the joy of being together in Christ.

Grace & Peace,
Sam