August 2026

Something electric happens in fellowship.

Sometimes it’s hard to explain what’s happening when we experience a rush of encouragement, insight, truth, comradery, joy, hope, love.

We sense in Christian fellowship a power beyond our own coming as gift and grace and that is the mysterious work of Jesus (Matthew 18:20).

It is also our work. We show up, we get real, we come willing to share, willing to listen, willing to grow.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the book Life Together writes, “When God was merciful to us, we learned to be merciful with our brethren. When we received forgiveness instead of judgment, we, too, were made ready to forgive our brethren. What God did to us, we then owed to others. The more we received, the more we were able to give; and the more meager our brotherly love, the less were we living by God’s mercy and love.”

We are given the chance to build up and add to the Beloved Community.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke and wrote often about the Beloved Community as a community that includes diversity and allows for tension undergirded by love and leading to transformation. To build and bless this kind of community, we must truly love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We must also challenge the age-old tradition of hating one’s opponents; mocking, insulting, and even harming them. Instead, we are entrusted by God with the power to break the cycle of retributive violence and create lasting peace through reconciliation. This is the ministry entrusted to us, one that was entrusted to Jesus who has reconciled us to God and given us this ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:14-21).

So let’s show up throughout August in worship to bless the children who are worshiping with us. Let’s get to know the names of people we meet at church, take time to hear their story and hold them in prayer. Let’s sign up to help at the John Knox booth at North Olmsted’s Homecoming (August 14-16) and sign up for our all church retreat (August 22-23).

Something electric happens in fellowship – and we’re a part of it!

Tom

Hebrews 10:24-25