A New Acquaintance (09/27/2024)

Yesterday, when my phone rang, I didn’t recognize the number, so I didn’t answer. Then moments later, the same number appeared. That’s not normal for spam risks, so I answered that time. And it was someone who wanted to know more about our upcoming Snacks and Scripture at the parish. It starts the first Monday evening of October. I made a new acquaintance. I am looking forward to working with her and getting to know her better. This is one of many reasons why I love the chance to do scripture study at our parish.

We will come together around 6 p.m. There will be various snacks (veggie tray, cheese & cracker tray, fruits, desserts). People will have a chance to grab a snack, find a place and start socializing with other members of the community. And then we start our study with a prayer to the Spirit for guidance. The time spent reading, meditating on the words and the LORD’s will for us within those words, sharing our thoughts and faith with one another are priceless.

We will be studying the book of Ephesians for two reasons: its contribution to our understanding of the dynamic Trinity working together and its contribution to our understanding of the LORD’s desire that we, though diverse, form the living Body of Christ, called to unity and to mission. I am excited for our study and for the potential woven within in by the LORD. I pray that our time together will unite us as believers and members of one community and will inspire us to live our discipleship even more fully.

Each of us is called to spend time with the scriptures prayerfully. Yet there is a benefit to doing so with others, there is a greater fullness of revelation, of understanding, of resolve when we not only read the words but speak out loud to others what we encounter. I pray we have a good turnout for the series. I pray that our efforts bear much fruit.

And I am so looking forward to getting to know better those of my community through the time spent together in community, in faith sharing, in striving to become better disciples. The companions on the journey that gather for these sessions reap multiple benefits. We recognize that we are not alone, we recognize that many of our struggles are shared by others along the Way. We also recognize the goodness that surrounds us, and it gives us courage.

I pray that your journeys are blessed with opportunities to share the scriptures and time with other believers. I pray that we all can see the goodness the LORD brings to us in others and how they can play such an important role in our spiritual journeys. May your day and week be enriched by making a new acquaintance or two, a new companion for the journey.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.