They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love: Embodying Community

They Will Know We Are Christians by our Love_ Embodying Community

As I wrote about back in November, my church is going through a significant transition. While I seriously thought we wouldn’t continue on, a few members have really kept things afloat. During the time we’ve been looking for a pastor, we’ve had a series of guest speakers. Because our usual organizer, Jan, was going to be at her husband’s high school reunion last Sunday, she asked me to organize the service. Here’s the sermon I gave, based on the passages Acts 4:32-35 and Romans 12:14-16

Finding true community is rare. Finding true Christian community is even rarer.

I found true Christian community in college, when I broke bread in the cafeteria with my friends and my hall mates of different denominations gathered on Sunday evening fouir prayers.

I found it in rural Maine, when Chris and I lived on a cooperative farm. We gathered each morning for bagels and to recite St. Francis’ prayer before serving those who suffer most.

But those were unusual circumstances. Those supposedly aren’t situations that you can find in ordinary “adult” life.

In fact, an otherwise wise person – a priest – told me I wasn’t going to find a church like those places.

And yet I have – here.

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