40 Days of Praying - Day 23

40 Days of Community: Ask God to bless this fall's emphais on the importance of community. Pray for BIG results in making GCR a place of belonging.

Psalm 133 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

John 17:20-23 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Acts 2:44-45 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

David saw its beauty. Jesus prayed for its fullness. The early church experienced its reality. Community. God intended for human beings to live together under his leadership with love and compassion and humility. One of the first things that broke when sin entered the world was community. It was never the same again. Jesus came to change that. Community is when people, fractured by sin and selfishness, come together and love each other. We don't perfectly love perfect people, but guided by the example of Jesus and empowered by his Spirit, we really love real people. We forgive and accept those who hurt us and might repel us. We value and celebrate those who contribute what we can't and are different from us. We share a common Lord; a common faith; a common hope and future; a common baptism into Jesus.

My description is ideal. It sounds unreal. But the beautiful part is when it is lived out in the real world. It's messy, sometimes even awkward. There isn't much in our world that encourages it. We are too busy, too isolated and too selfish. But real community honors Jesus and give us hope. May we experience the fullness of real community.

O God, make us one. Make us a people that value each other and love each other. Make us people who serve each other and look out for the interests of the people around us and not just ourselves. We pray for the community campaign this fall. May it not be just a program. Let us experience the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. As Jesus prayed for it, bring it, amen.

Grace.