A Dwelling Place for God

This warm, bright Friday afternoon is reminding me of the afternoon at the start of this week - when, on Sunday, Jim and I walked with others from our church and churches in the area on the CROP Walk. Our congregation made a great showing - with 47 walkers, DGFUMC got to claim for the coming year a new "trophy" of a handmade quilt filled with a variety of CROP and Church World service logos, that will be passed from church to church in an annual "competition." And, of course, there were a multitude of other gifts placed into all of our lives as we walked - the deeper awareness of our connection with those close by and around the world who are struggling for the most basic life needs; the loving donations by others to Church World Service in our team's names; the gifts of conversations with fellow walkers that helped us laugh, learn, and grow - in just 3.5 miles!

To be the Church is to be continually growing, as individuals and as a team of people. We grow as we step out in service, finding Christ among us in unexpected ways. We grow as we gather for worship, opening our minds and heart to God's presence together. We grow as we engage in study together, in caring conversation at church, or in listening to and praying for the needs of a colleague at work. We grow because we are continually being shaped by the Spirit of Christ among us.

Our focus verse for this Sunday, Ephesians 2:22, is about the ongoing gift of growth that the life in the Christian community is meant to be :  "Christ is building you into a place where God lives through his Spirit." Through Sunday's moments in worship of music, testimony, sharing our gifts and prayers for the future, fellowship, and learning, we will be shaped more and more into that promise.