A little while ago, I was at church, and we were having communion.\u00a0 After I received communion, I returned to my seat and observed the others still waiting in line.\u00a0 One husband stood behind his wife and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.\u00a0 A young daughter put her arms around her mother\u2019s waist as they inched forward.\u00a0 The individuals serving communion looked warmly at each person who came up.\u00a0 And the ushers, a very kind couple, guided everyone in the congregation and then waited until the end to be served.\u00a0 As I watched, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.\u00a0 I felt so blessed to be part of this larger group of people, my spiritual family.<\/p>\n
We all have biological families.\u00a0 We also may have extended families from marriage.\u00a0 Some of those relationships are a blessing, and some of them are a burden.\u00a0 We all have some family members with whom we would gladly spend our time.\u00a0 Then there are those who we see only out of obligation.\u00a0 We may share some beliefs and interests with our family members, or we may have zero common ground.<\/p>\n
A spiritual family, however, is different.\u00a0 When a spiritual family meets, we come together voluntarily.\u00a0 The common denominator between its members isn\u2019t DNA or looks or brains or affluence.\u00a0 Rather, a spiritual community comes together based on a common belief in a higher power.\u00a0 When we meet, we collectively think about ways that we can make the world a better place.\u00a0 Once we find a spiritual family, these are the people with whom we will choose to spend some amount of time each week.<\/p>\n
Today there are many people who forgo having a spiritual family.\u00a0 They are what I call \u201cspiritual loners.\u201d\u00a0 I was one for over a decade.\u00a0 I read the Bible and Christian inspiration books on a daily basis.\u00a0 I prayed and tried my best to serve others.\u00a0 However, I wasn\u2019t part of a spiritual community.\u00a0 I can tell you that there is something very hollow about that approach.<\/p>\n
In the book of Hebrews, the author points to the main reason why being part of a spiritual community is so important.<\/p>\n
\u201dAnd let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another\u2026\u201d (Hebrews 10:24-25)<\/p>\n
When we are part of a spiritual community, we are encouraged to be better people.\u00a0 If I join my local church or synagogue, I likely will have the opportunity to help with a food drive.\u00a0 If I go to a Sunday morning service, I probably will hear a sermon about being more forgiving or less self-centered.\u00a0 \u00a0And I may meet people whose example inspires me to be a better wife, mother and friend.<\/p>\n
Being involved in a spiritual community also typically puts us in contact with people who are just a little bit gentler.\u00a0 We live in a world where folks can be pretty harsh.\u00a0 There are lots of people out there who would rather say something derogatory than pay a compliment.\u00a0 And there are many who have deluded themselves into thinking that their achievements give them the right to be arrogant or smug.\u00a0 It is enough to make anyone want to crawl under a rock and hide.<\/p>\n
But in a good spiritual community, we encourage each other to be more loving.\u00a0 We build each other up and appreciate each other\u2019s contributions.\u00a0 We don\u2019t look for places to criticize, but rather we look for ways to praise each other.\u00a0 We realize that anything that we\u2019ve achieved is a gift from God, and that leads us to be more humble.<\/p>\n
Now, of course, no spiritual family is perfect.\u00a0 When human beings come together, we do some things well, and we fall short in other areas.\u00a0 We are fallible creatures.\u00a0 But overall, when we come together for the purpose of acknowledging that there is a higher power, and when we collectively think about how we can serve the world, something very special happens.\u00a0 Our desire to work toward \u201clove and good deeds\u201d comes alive.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have a spiritual community, consider looking for one.\u00a0 My hope is that if you find the right one, it will be as great a blessing in your life as it has been in mine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A little while ago, I was at church, and we were having communion.\u00a0 After I received communion, I returned to my seat and observed the others still waiting in line.\u00a0 One husband stood behind his wife and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.\u00a0 A young daughter put her arms around her mother\u2019s waist as they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n