Written by Pastor Michele Abbott
In my sermon a few weeks ago I talked about the giant redwoods in Northern California. These amazing trees grow up to 360 feet tall, and yet their root systems are only 10-13 feet deep – which seems to defy logic. It turns out that these trees can grow that tall and live for hundreds of years because the roots of the trees are completely intertwined; these trees thrive because they are woven together.
Those redwood trees are a beautiful image of the kinds of community Jesus so often talked about – deeply rooted, interwoven faith communities where people know each other, support each other and help each other thrive.
This kind of mutually supportive community – God’s intention for us — only happens when people commit to the community and make it a priority. It is only when we spend time in relationship with the people in our community on a regular basis that these communities are best able to enrich our lives and help us to serve God and the world.
Hopefully, this community of faith is one you want to engage with – and if so, that means being here with us and interacting with other members of our community on a regular basis. So when you are here, if it’s a Sunday morning don’t just worship and head for your car; instead stay for fellowship hour, make sandwiches, drink coffee, talk to our children. Or join a bible study, help at VBS, sing in the choir, come for clean-up days, or go to beer club! There are lots of ways to engage, you simply need to show up. And when you do show up, you will form relationships and become enmeshed here – and we will become like that forest of redwoods in your life.
Blessings,
Pastor Michele
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