Eliminating The Noiseنموونە

THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY

One of the greatest things to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic was that God made all of us in officiating come to a FULL STOP. No games, no meetings, no community. It was as if he was telling all of us that if you don’t want to rest, I’m going to make you. As we were stopped God called my wife Jessica and I to start a devotional and prayer call for sports officials called MND. What started as a prayer call, turned into a special community of like minded believers that were also sports officials.

After an outburst at home last season (more on that tomorrow), I was reading the Our Daily Bread Devotional and it spoke of the need for our church community. The question asked was why do we go to Church? Or why do we turn on zoom and attend MND each Monday? What’s the point?

There are several different answers that probably make sense, but Author Kathleen Norris received a response from Her pastor that hit me. “We go to church for other people. Because someone may need you there.” Why do we get on MND or go to church? Because someone in your community may need you there. Many nights, especially after I miss one or two weeks during the season I am the one in need. I need the MND community to lift up, edify with scripture, and just be there. Why are we so reluctant to reach out to our community for prayer in everyday things? The tired, the weary, the things that don’t seem big. Yes, we have to pray for the “big” things, but why not as a community ask for prayer for the small things too? As Colossians 1:17 says“And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” If His word says He is in all things, shouldn’t we be coming to Him in all things?

Reflecting Questions

Why do you hold back from reaching out to others with the small things?

What prevents you from engaging in community on a weekly/daily basis?