God is so at work in life! There are certain events that we experience as human beings that reach and touch us at the core of our souls. These are events that, upon later reflection, have effect in our lives; they make a tangible difference for the living of our lives. Something about these experiences has touched us in a singularly unique manner, and we are amazed. These experiences are not always monumental, but they are almost always significant. These experiences are not always life changing, but they are almost always life shaping. These experiences – when we stop and take stock of them – serve as important building blocks for the construction of the way in which we see and live life.

These experiences throughout life that reach and touch us at the core of our souls are crafted and styled by God to remind us of our humanness and of God’s very nature of goodness and care – most especially of God’s guiding presence. Each of these “life experiences” in their context and effect are different in almost every way but one: they are experiences in which we have gathered together with others.

Think about it for a moment. Think about those events that you can recall that have been life shaping for you, some of which have been indelibly etched on your heart and mind. These were special times, times of warmth and love. They were times of impact and influence. Some were filled with celebration and joy, while others with deep sadness and loss, still others with a good measure of disbelief and confusion.

Perhaps it was at Christmas time as a child, gathering with your family around the dinner table or the Christmas tree. Perhaps it was those summertime gatherings of family from both near and far for a time of reunion. There was laughter and recollection of times past. Perhaps it was the wedding of a son or daughter, or your own. Perhaps it was that experience of sharing your grief with others at the death of a loved one, or the news of an unexpected divorce or other family tragedy. It is during the wide-ranging experiences of celebration or sadness that our lives are shaped as we gather together, as we embrace one another with words of comfort and promise. These are times that reach and touch us at the core of our souls.

In God’s masterful design, these times are intended to serve as a blessing for us and for others. We may not recognize it at the time, but these experiences in life are actively shaping and sharpening our ability to see life with a greater sense of fullness and potential, to see how God is so faithful and present. These times are gifted to us – yes, even in the midst of deep sorrow – that we might know afresh that we are not alone, that we do not face life’s ups and downs alone. Indeed, God has crafted life to be most wholly shaped and formed as we gather together. We need only think of those who experience life in isolation, and suffer many maladies as a result, to know that God desires and deigns that we gather together. God knows best, for God is the Creator.

And so we are to gather together. We gather and receive the Lord’s blessing. We gather for times of worship and praise of God. We gather to break bread and to share in the fullness of life. We gather that we might be shaped by the experiences of others that can guide us and provide good boundaries for us and us for them. This is why as a faithful community of disciples of Jesus Christ it is so very important that we regularly and faithfully gather together for the praise and worship of God. It is important for life for us to gather together and to be nourished through the hearing of God’s Word read and preached, and to receive for us the Body and Blood of our Lord in the meal of great thanksgiving.

God is so at work in life! In light of all the profoundly challenging events we have experienced as a community over the past several years, my prayer is that God will continue to gather us together. I pray that God’s Holy and Blessed Spirit will continue to shape and sharpen our awareness of God’s guiding presence in our midst as we focus on proclaiming the Gospel message of forgiveness and life.

I pray that we together come to an ever deeper awareness of God’s blessings for us and through us as we gather together. For these are times that reach and touch us at the core of our souls.

Pastor Randy