Spiritual Journey: Communion
I have no idea how I found time to fit this post in, but it's a testament to priorities. Writing about my Spiritual Journey is important to me...thank you Holly! Join us here.
Communion means together. When I looked up the word online I found synonyms including: affinity, friendship, togetherness, closeness, harmony, understanding, fellowship, relationship, sharing...Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines communion as a Christian ceremony in which bread is eaten and wine is drunk as a way of showing devotion to Jesus Christ.
I had a post all planned when Holly announced this topic. Addressing the act of taking communion, the bread, at church. But now as I sit to write out the post, I feel pulled to go in another direction. Communion...fellowship, relationship...I want to write about the communion I feel with my church family.
Growing up, going to church was part of our routine. My parents were involved in church activities and so were we, my sister and I...but that was because of my parents. I attended a Catholic college and graduate school. Again, church was part of my routine.
Fast forward years and years later...(During those years we are skipping...church was an occasional visit. I was half-heartedly looking for a church with little to no luck.) to my current church...
I chose this church. I made that choice with lots of praying. Pastor Jim even encouraged me to "join before I joined". For the first time in my life, I became an active member of a church community. Now, church is more than a building to me and it's more than Sunday morning. It's a place where I can serve in many different ministries. It's a place where I go for fellowship, for love and support, for great hugs! It's a place where I've developed amazing relationships and continue to discover love waiting for me.
Wednesday nights I signed up for a class at church, at the invitation of a friend. I thought about dropping it. I'm so busy right now, but I need this. Tonight, I had piles of notebooks to read and I contemplated canceling, but I put the notebooks down and went. I made a commitment.
Listening to the other members of the class, I always feel so blessed! Tonight, I opened up about some thing that had been troubling me and the woman I was working with listened and comforted and treated me with such understanding, I felt her love! As we were discussing life and it's struggles, she kindly reminded me, "You need to ask for help."
I stopped.
That's why I went to class. God needed me to hear that message. I am not good at that. I am not used to reaching out to my church family and asking for help. What I realized is this...that communion with others strengthens when I am open to help and open to receive help.
What a blessing...to be part of this friendly and warm community!
Communion means together. When I looked up the word online I found synonyms including: affinity, friendship, togetherness, closeness, harmony, understanding, fellowship, relationship, sharing...Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines communion as a Christian ceremony in which bread is eaten and wine is drunk as a way of showing devotion to Jesus Christ.
I had a post all planned when Holly announced this topic. Addressing the act of taking communion, the bread, at church. But now as I sit to write out the post, I feel pulled to go in another direction. Communion...fellowship, relationship...I want to write about the communion I feel with my church family.
Growing up, going to church was part of our routine. My parents were involved in church activities and so were we, my sister and I...but that was because of my parents. I attended a Catholic college and graduate school. Again, church was part of my routine.
Fast forward years and years later...(During those years we are skipping...church was an occasional visit. I was half-heartedly looking for a church with little to no luck.) to my current church...
I chose this church. I made that choice with lots of praying. Pastor Jim even encouraged me to "join before I joined". For the first time in my life, I became an active member of a church community. Now, church is more than a building to me and it's more than Sunday morning. It's a place where I can serve in many different ministries. It's a place where I go for fellowship, for love and support, for great hugs! It's a place where I've developed amazing relationships and continue to discover love waiting for me.
Wednesday nights I signed up for a class at church, at the invitation of a friend. I thought about dropping it. I'm so busy right now, but I need this. Tonight, I had piles of notebooks to read and I contemplated canceling, but I put the notebooks down and went. I made a commitment.
Listening to the other members of the class, I always feel so blessed! Tonight, I opened up about some thing that had been troubling me and the woman I was working with listened and comforted and treated me with such understanding, I felt her love! As we were discussing life and it's struggles, she kindly reminded me, "You need to ask for help."
I stopped.
That's why I went to class. God needed me to hear that message. I am not good at that. I am not used to reaching out to my church family and asking for help. What I realized is this...that communion with others strengthens when I am open to help and open to receive help.
What a blessing...to be part of this friendly and warm community!
Bonus: As I was driving home, thinking about how grateful I am for the people in my church family, this song came on the radio...You'll Never Be Alone. (I love when God shows off like this!)
What a gift to have a community you can turn to, who understands you, and feeds your soul. You are blessed.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a beautiful community. I'm grateful you found a place in which to find fellowship with God. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so tempting to let busy-ness squeeze out time for church and fellowship. I've felt that several times since I committed to hosting a weekly small group at my house. But every time we meet, I feel so blessed. Fellowship is so important to a spiritual life!
ReplyDelete