Prayers for those who have lost church fellowship Thriving Together My husband, Alan, stood below the towering lights illuminating the athletic field, as a member of the opposing team hit a ball into the air. With his eyes fixed on the ball, Alan ran full speed towards the darkest corner of the field—and slammed into the chain link fence. Later that night, I handed him an ice pack. “Are you feeling okay?” I asked. He rubbed his shoulder. “I’d feel better if my friends had warned me that I was getting near the fence,” he said. Teams function best when they work together. Alan’s injury could have been avoided, if only one of his teammates had yelled out a warning as he approached the fence. Scripture reminds us that members of the church are designed to work together and watch out for each other like a team. Even (and especially) in the aftermath of a pandemic. The apostle Paul tells us that God cares about how we interact with each other, because the actions of one person can impact the whole community of believers (Colossians 3:13–14). When we all embrace opportunities to serve each other (whether online or in person), fully devoted to unity and peace, the church flourishes (v. 15). Paul instructed his readers to “let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit” (v. 16). In this way we can inspire and protect one another through loving and honest relationships, obeying and praising God with grateful hearts. It’s never too late to start reconnecting with our church family so we can thrive together. Xochitl Dixon
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