The Post below is contributed by my friend Julian Hutcheson as an encouragement for continued connection in challenging times! Julian is a faithful follower of Christ at Mosaic United Methodist Church.
Mathew 6 : 1-5
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
This is from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” found in Matthew chapters 5-7. In a lengthy teaching on a hillside, Jesus covers many areas, of which the passage above is just a small part. The excerpt above highlights some of the lessons that have been made clearer to me during this long and ongoing interruption of our Faith community’s life.
One lesson has to do with relationship with God and with others. Our relationship with God has some parallels to our relationships with others.
Relationships require work.
Assuming a solid relationship has been established (which may be BIG assumption), maintaining the relationship requires some actions we are familiar with. Spending time with the person, at least in conversation, is an essential piece. If time is not spent together, relationships atrophy and bonds become weak. The same is true with God. If we don’t seek Him in prayer, alone, in private, the relationship will be a limited one.
So, we need to make the time!
When we meet for worship, it’s a great time of being in the presence of the Lord and in the presence of His people. Worship is often powerful, the message is strong and on target, and before and after the service there are usually good conversations, hugs, handshakes, eye contact, etc. We benefit in attending and being involved, and our relationships with each other and with God get a boost with every service.
Having lost our church services like this, for an extended period of time, I realize I depend too much on the worship service for my connection with my Lord. In a similar way, I have been dependent on socializing around the service for my connection with my faith family. The structure of the service, the physical building, and the community have made it a lot easier to at least do the minimum where my relationship with God and others is concerned. Just showing up and participating is enough . . . or is it?
Jesus, while He values our community time, He also points out a caution and a challenge: How much of our community time is dedicated to seeking the approval of others – our friends, our church leadership, or the pastor? For myself, I confess . . . it is a mixture. For example, while I worship on stage with the worship team, I find my heart is often a mixture of sincere worship and a desire for recognition and praise from others.
But Jesus pushes the reset button and reminds us that it is ALL about what we are doing for the Lord. The rest is of little value. Jesus emphasizes that the Father wants a one-to-one relationship with each of us. Seek the Lord in a place and time that is just you and Him, and He will honor and reward the effort. This is true for prayer time, loving acts toward others, and other righteous acts. He hears what we say to Him and He sees and fully appreciates what we do.
As for our relationships with each other, it’s clear that we need to keep in touch. It’s so much easier to just not call and do other things, and not seek out connecting. I believe God rewards our reaching out to each other. He cares about us as a community and does not want to see us atrophy. So when in doubt, when you feel a slight inclination to connect, make the call!
Don’t give in to the pull of isolation…. Stay Connected!
Pray with me…
May the Lord purify our hearts and motives and help us build relationships with Him and others. May He give us a strong desire to seek Him in private on a very regular basis. We look forward to the day when our community meets again, so may we find more and more ways to encounter the Lord’s presence outside the walls of the church and outside the church service. Amen.