Pastor's Column: "Community"

Throughout this Lenten season the focus of our weekly soup suppers is “Community.” The question you may ask though might be, exactly what is “community”?

The dictionary definition is pretty simple: community is a group of people who live in the same area, such as a city, town or neighborhood. It can also be a group of people who share a common interest.

So, taking part in the soup suppers is actually being part of a community. In this case, it is a group of people sharing a common interest, whether it be the soup, the fellowship, the message or all three. I look forward to all three.

Nothing compares to the soup—we have wonderful cooks in this community; the fellowship shared by this particular community is so welcoming, and taking home a message from a variety of view keeps me thinking. Those Wednesday evenings during Lent just plain “fill me up.”

Why is community so important for us? I can only answer that question for myself. When we create community, even just for a Lenten season, a safe place of love and encouragement is formed. I’ve never seen anyone come that hasn’t been welcomed; that’s what a community is.

A community is also fun folks being around each other, laughing, telling stories, enjoying each other. Community is vital to our well-being. It can help us define who we are or even who we want to be.

Think about all of the different “communities” within our small town. Which are you involved in? Which would you like to be included in? Which hold no interest?

I would invite you to join this Wednesday evening community of love and faith during this time of Lent. Good soup, great fellowship and meaningful messages. How can you beat it?