More Than Sunday Morning

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:2-3

Here’s a thought that challenged me this week: what kind of relationships would need these instructions Paul gives to the Ephesian church?

In calling us to humility, gentleness, patience and love, Paul clearly imagines a church where people are close enough to need them! Healthy church life must therefore involve enough interaction that, at times, we will need to be patient with one another and bear with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

If the church is just a group that sits in the same building for an hour each week, there would be no need for any of these qualities.

Secretly, we might think that’s better. We avoid awkwardness and the effort of deeper relationships by limiting ourselves to Sunday morning chats about the weather. But I suspect many of us long for something more: to experience the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace that Paul describes.

So here’s a challenge for this Sunday: find one person who you think might be longing for deeper connection too. Ask them a question that takes the conversation below the surface. And why not arrange to meet again during the week?

If we’re all waiting for someone else to make the first move, we’ll remain frustrated that church isn’t all it could be. Perhaps the deeper community we long for begins when we take the first step.

Blessings,

Geoff