September 8, 2005
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Community Group Gathering Success!
We had our first “Community Group Gathering” last night. We’e been having Community Group Bible study for years…but last night was our first real gathering. As I mentioned before, I think we have been pretty well focused on Jesus everytime we get together. However, often times it is just more of a fellowship thing than a Bible Study or a gathering with Christ. I firmly believe that Christ is right there with us when we gather in His name. Fellowship is great, and we do,and will continue to have “fellowship” gatherings. But I felt God tugging at me, drawing me in, saying….”I don’t want just to sit on the outside…I want to be right there with you!”
We had twelve people last night….how appropriate as we celebrated our first Lord’s Supper at our gathering. We started with a few minutes of fellowship as we greeted each other and talked. Then we sang three songs in prayer to God. I was uplifted as I played and prayed. I could hear voices joyfully singing to God and I know He was smiling. We then talked about the Lords Supper. I read verses from Mattthew, Mark and Luke and then focused on last part of verses I read in 1 Corinthians (1:23-26). Here we are told in verse 26: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”……let me emphasize here…….WE PROCLAIM the Lord’s death until HE COMES. Wow………I am now at a loss for words……..
After we prayed and as we each took a cup and broke bread we started our study. For the next hour or so we laughed, we contemplated, we shared, we wept, we bowed in humility, we grew in our hearts and we felt loved and comforted by God who was there in the room with us. Rather than close in prayer where everyone tells me who they wanted us to pray for, and I and someone else prayed for the group…..we knelt in a circle before God the Father, joined hands and feverntly offered our individual prayers to God as we collectively joined in prayer WITH GOD. Woah…my heart was moved. Some prayed silently while most offered their prayers alloud for everyone to hear and pray with them.
I am humbled whenever we gather before God and He joins us in real way. For those that don’t understand that might be reading this……what I’m trying to say is that it is so much more to do something WITH Jesus rather than just talk ABOUT Him. What do I mean? Think of the difference between going out to dinner with someone special in your life, sharing the laughs, the joys, the conversation and the closeness of being with them and what it would be like just talking about going to dinner with that special someone. Going out and being with them is full and vibrant, it’s real, it’s something that brings us closer together…while….just talking about it is , well, it’s just talking about it. We miss out on the closemness, the time shared, the hearfelt connection.
Thank you God, for being approachable, for listening, for sharing your wisdom so that we may live full lives. Thank you for bringing us close to you and for loving us. Amen.
Comments (4)
Praise the Lord that your community gathering went so well last night!!!!! It is so nice to be in the presence of the Lord fellowshipping with other Christians and witnessing to the unsaved. May God continue to richly bless you and your community….
*~*Miranda*~*
Just a passerby. Thank you this wonderful post!
As always, I feel your desire to serve the Lord. I’m glad that your community group went so well. Thank you for praying. I know God will answer your prayers.
Chris
Thank you for joining the 21st Apostles. I’ll be honest I don’t think I have ever had the honor of reading your post until now.
You are the first member of the 21st to join withoutprior conversation with me. But judging from your post you will be greatly enjoyed within the blog ring. By the way there is an Xanga for the ring called “The_House_Of_The_21st_Apostles” go there to find out more about the duties of an Apostle, again thank you for joining and I look forward to our future frinendship. Peace.
-Pilgrim of Truth