Marbles or Grapes?

Anne Ortlund, in her book Up with Worship, compares two kinds of communities commonly found in churches.  One she describes as a bag of marbles.  The people come together for fellowship, they rattle together as they rub up against one another.  They make noise and throw off light beautifully.  They connect, but they don't mingle.  The other kind of community she describes as a bag of grapes.  Shake the bag around a little, and it starts to drip.  Look inside and it's not a pretty sight.  Each grape (life) bleeds into the others.  That's Koinonia.  That's authentic, Spirit-powered fellowship.

As Christians, we have a commitment to one another, regardless of our positions, our levels of maturity, or how long we've been believers.  We are mutually bound by a duty to "drip" and "bleed" into one another, as we help each other grow toward greater maturity.  Every church congregation must commit to godly priorities that further this purpose, just like the first body of Christ followers found in Acts 2:41-47.  This Sunday, at 9:30am, Pastor Dennis Beatty will dive into the life of the early church, as he preaches on the value of a local church community.

After the service, "Connect with One Another Authentically", in our Adult Discipleship class.  This class meets at 11:00am and is currently studying the last days of Jesus' time here on earth.  Learn more about Jesus, His love for you, and His call on our lives to follow Him.

Where's Calvary Parkside?:  Tulsa, Oklahoma, New Orleans, Louisiana, Victoria, British Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho...don't be left out as we continue to take Calvary Parkside on the road.  How?  It's simple.  Take your Calvary Parkside t-shirt with you on vacation.  Then email your photo to doug@thecalvary.org.  It's that easy!  Need a Calvary Parkside t-shirt?  Stop by the Next Step Table this Sunday and pick one up and let's continue to "Make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton and to the ends of the earth."

See you Sunday!

Doug