“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
God’s heart is for us to belong to one another and be in the vulnerable place of dependency on each other.
Whilst He overflows in abundance and generosity and is who we submit our dependency to He equally desires the level of belonging together one to another. For us to host each other in sharing both joy and pain and for no one to feel lost, alone or unseen.
It is physically possible to stand in a community of 200+ or a group of a few and feel alone. We sense Him pushing us together.
Loneliness in church is painful. The feeling of having no connection is exhausting. The sense of it being hard to break in resulting in a feeling of lacking and not fitting in and a hardening of hearts.
It is easier not to be there than to be there and not to be seen.
It may be that God has us sense and feel from our own heart what is a fault so that we live out His sign and embody His voice.
Relationship stings He desires to heal and restore safety and well being too.
The friendship we want or need for ourselves is the same we want to pursue, honour and sow into the relationship of others.
Deconstructing and reforming seasons are naturally needed. Fresh wine and fresh wine skins made compatible.
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”
No criticism, no offence, no cynicism, no bitterness just bringing a solution before an issue or crisis sneaks in.
God is encouraging flux to realign living stones to fit together well to have the capability for His glory.
Belonging and no outsiders is the hallmark of the Kingdom life on earth as in heaven.
“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfil every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The illustration shows the togetherness of Christ and the living stones of our church body belonging in the kingdom and emanating light that pushes back the darkness.
Three Scriptures that come to mind:
“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5 ESV
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:22 ESV
“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ESV
The song In Christ Alone. Celtic Worship
Lessisgreater 