Weekly e-News November 6th
Hey everyone!
Hope you’re having an awesome day! Looks like rain will be with us ‘til Saturday! I was looking up to see if more was coming, when I saw something amazing! A “V” of geese flew overhead (well, not directly overhead, thankfully!), honking and flapping in perfect formation!
Ever wonder why geese fly in a V formation? Scientist have been studying this for years and years. All they know to this point is that somehow geese know that it’s a whole lot easier that way! When geese fly in a V, they can fly up to 71% further than one goose can, flying alone! And the heart rate of a goose flying solo is 40% higher while flying than a goose flying in formation!
How do birds know that it’s easier to fly together? How do they know you can fly further and with less effort when you “V-up”? How do the geese know this if scientists have just discovered these facts?! All you can say is…
They just do!
It’s instinctive!
Y’know, we’re like geese in some ways! Sure we don‘t have feathers or lay eggs (some honk when they travel more than they should..) but as we sail through this world toward our heavenly home, it’s easier when we “flock” together!
When we fly in a “V”, if you will.
When we get together…
to encourage each other…
to tell each other, “You matter to me!”…
to pray for each other…
to travel our journey together…
it just makes it easier and you can go further!
How do we know?
We just do! It’s just instinctive!
Paul writes to us in Romans 12 10, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” See the word, “devoted”? In the Greek language Paul wrote this in originally, this word is “philostorgos”. It’s really two words put together. “Philia” means “love between friends” and “storgos” is the love that you instinctively feel in a family for your parents or your kids. Some believe “storgos” is related to the word “stork”. Storks fly in formations, too!
“Philostorgos” means something like “having that love close friends feel for each other…instinctively!” If you love Jesus, it is just instinctive to want to be around other people who feel about Him the same way you do! It’s just natural to want to have that “philia”…that “love between friends” with others who love Him!
That’s why it’s a joy to see folks out, drinking coffee and sharing their day, joys, or cares, or just gathering up to watch ball games together…
That’s why we try to eat together at church at times (like this Sunday! See below…)
That’s why we have what we call “community groups” on Sunday mornings at 9:30. It’s a time to just be together with and encourage those who love Jesus like you do. It’s a time when we share how our week and our life is going. It’s a time to share around God’s Word…to share what it means to each one. It’s especially a time when, just by showing up, you’re saying to all of us, “You matter to me! There’s no place I’d rather be this morning than with my church family…’cause I care about you! You’re important to me”
When you’re not there, we have to flap harder.
I guess Paul’s saying, “That’s something that you ought to just instinctively feel if you have Jesus in you. Not only does the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures tell you this, but “flying in a flock” ought to just be instinctive!
We need each other!
Others need you!
If you tend to not really make time for friends (the real kind, not the FB ones)…
if someone needs your encouraging call…
even if you’ve not really made up your mind to be in a community group…
Follow your instincts!
Join the formation!
HONK! HONK!