Â
Â
Dear friends in Christ, Last Sunday I observed the deep need that we all have for human touch. After a week of snow, ice, sub-freezing temperatures, no school and cabin fever, we were all desperate for fellowship. Don't get me wrong, solitude is a wonderful thing. Personally, I enjoy my own company. But too much alone time leads to a feeling of disconnection. Someone asked me recently if I thought the church was really necessary for discipleship. "Isn't it possible to live a faithful life apart from the faith community?" he asked. I believe faith is at risk when we are left to our own device. Periods of seclusion are absolutely necessary to the spiritual life, but life in prolonged isolation is dicey. Part of the way we reflect God's image is in our desire to live in relationship. Our understanding of the Trinity reveals a God who is infinitely and essentially relational. In the New Testament the church is portrayed as the body of Christ. Christ is the head and we are body parts that work in a unified manner to carry out the mission of God. As I watched people coming through the narthex greeting one another with handshakes and hugs, I felt thankful to be a part of such a family. A fellowship where we're inspired, instructed, challenged, uplifted, humbled, loved, accepted, equipped, empowered and sent forth to live out the Gospel. I need that. I think you need it too. I'm not sure we can continue to grow spiritually without each other. After the birth of the church at Pentecost, Acts 2:42 says, "And they dedicated themselves to