May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6, NLT
On Sunday I sat in Stratford listening to Pastor Stephen draw attention to the message Paul shared under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: if we can live together in unity while possessing a diverse range of ideas, backgrounds, social standings, etc. then the world will see the wonder of Christ among us, as He is the ONE we have in common. That is such a powerful truth! Especially when we have nothing in common… except for Christ. Then it’s clear that He is the only thread that ties us together and He gets all the glory!
At Cornerstone we want to live as that kind of united and harmonious community. We also want anyone who comes as a guest to experience a deep awareness of being welcomed into that, and into what God is doing here. One lady I spoke to is new to all things church, much less our church, and I was so pleased to hear her describe Cornerstone as feeling “like family”!
What an incredible witness to the power and love of God when a diverse group of people love each other and readily welcome others in. This is Good News for all people, isn’t it?
Here’s a challenge… at the next service you attend, when it comes the “Meet and Greet” moment, find a person in the room that you imagine you have the least in common with and introduce yourself with a smile. Be the one to walk across the room, build a bridge, and get to know your brother or sister in Christ. After all, we are family.