By: Margaret Bronson
Each month after we take the Lord’s Supper together we recite our church covenant together. Many churches don’t have a church covenant. Ours is to remind us of our sacred duty to one another as part of the same local body of Christ. When each of us became members here we both committed to as well as earned the right to have others do things like:
live together in Christian love and maintain the unity of the Spirit;
confess our sins to each other and pray for each other;
exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other;
bear one another’s burdens;
cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech.
In holding our church body to these expectations between one another we hope to achieve our purpose, which is, “We exist to showcase the glory of God by being and making disciples of Jesus. We do this by living in light of the gospel through worship, community, and mission." The transition to two services is going to put a lot of strain on our ability to faithfully fulfill our covenant to one another. We are going to have to be more intentional about seeking one another out, following up with each other and taking responsibility for our brothers and sisters here at LBC. This is an opportunity to grow in our intentionality and commitment to one another.
To that end, I’d like to ask that you join me in a renewed commitment to hospitality within our church. For the rest of the year, would you commit to having people (an individual, a couple, a family, a group) over for a meal twice a month? It can be people you know well and want to check up on, it can be people you want to build your relationship with or someone you don’t know at all yet! Maybe you have a really small apartment and would have a hard time seating more than two extra people. Get creative! Maybe you bring a picnic to a park or go out to eat. Remember not to neglect our older members, our widows or our singles!
When you meet outside the church with our members, remember our covenant to one another and our responsibility to continually point one another to the Gospel. Prepare for these times together by asking yourself some of these questions and being ready to confess sin, ask for help, and be honest about how you are doing spiritually. The church body is a gift God has given to us to comfort, build up, and sharpen us in our faith, but it is a gift that improves with cooperation. By opening up to trusted members of your church, you are inviting Christ to speak to you audibly through His Body. Take an interest in the others lives; how is their marriage, parenting, studies, job, singleness, or ministry?
Here are some ways to initiate gospel conversations over dinner:
How has your Bible study been? What have you been reading/learning?
How can I pray for you?
What can your church community do to help you grow spiritually?
What did you think of the sermon?
How are you becoming more like Christ/being sanctified?