Welcome

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."

Romans 15:5-7

I have been welcomed. Ushered in. Invited. I have entered into a community of believers unlike any I've ever met. Everyday is full of real people living real life with real struggles. They laugh a lot, live in the moment, and enjoy life. But they also go deep. They are vulnerable with their brothers and sisters in Christ, humbly confessing sin and struggle, asking for prayer with tears on their face. Admitting they messed up and asking your forgiveness. They talk about the hard stuff in life, and encourage each other. I can learn so much from them. And I get to be apart of this. I've gotten to watch these people in community with one another for the past month and this experience has been more than I deserve. This group of people has shown me what it means to "welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you..."

"With one voice glorify God..." Last night, we had a 2 hour rehearsal for Wednesday night service and I was so filled with joy and awe of God that I could cry. Be it a rehearsal, a church service, prayer, or just pondering and discussing things of God, I'm learning what it is to live in unity, and with one voice to glorify God. I'm overcome sometimes by the beauty of this second family I have now, and feel so blessed beyond belief. I still have a lot of people to meet. We all still have so much to learn about what it means to love well and live in harmony with one another. But it's a beautiful thing to live amongst these people I now call friends.