Encountering Jesus in Church... and anywhere

When we hear the word "church", we each get an image in our head.  The word comes with a meaning that has been shaped by our experiences, good or not so good.  For some, it is intuitive that we encounter Jesus is church, and for others, "church" has scorned us in such a way that we don't really want to walk into that physical place.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
​(1 Corinthians 6:19)

​,Merritt reflects that "when Christians gather together, they become a temple... If I attempt to follow Jesus alone, I put my finger in the dike of God's presence waiting to flood my life. Like stones stuck together with divine mortar, something happens when I gather with others that can't happen any other way in any other place... Being a part of a faith community forces me to coexist with people I didn't choose, to follow a God I can't prove.  And in that space, I grow" (p 170).

God calls us to be in community.  He uses others to teach and grow us and this is when true joy is built!  "Church" is made up of people, and people are messy.  Are we opening our eyes to experiencing Jesus through connecting with others?

Merritt closes his book by challenging us "to a lifelong posture whereby we live aware, peering around every corner knowing that God may be waiting there... To live with wide eyes.  Expectant.  Scanning horizons and peeking around corners, looking for God in the unlikely places and faces" (p 180-1). 

That is how I want to live and see.  Expectant and vigilant.  Ready to see the ways that Jesus is so much better than I could ever imagine.  Lord, I pray for every one of us to continue to fix our eyes on you and be blown away by your goodness, love, righteousness, and mercy.  I pray that we continue to abide in You and live in a posture to see people, places, and moments as you see them.  In Jesus Name, Amen.