Introducing yourself to someone you don’t know can be an intimidating thing, especially when they introduce themselves first with concrete cracking confidence. Meeting people can be overwhelming as well when you walk away from post service hang time trying to remember the names of the seventeen people you just met and are now going to grab a beer with. But as risky as it is, meeting people is intrinsic to community. And community is intrinsic to what it is to be the Body Of Christ, to be The Church. Paul urges us in Ephesians 4 to be unified in the Body of Christ through the Spirit. This unity is found in the bonds of love, peace and grace given to us by Jesus. We seek relationship with each other because Jesus seeks a relationship with us, we love and forgive each other because Jesus loves and forgives us, we show grace to each other because Jesus shows grace to us, we find satisfaction in community because the Trinity is wholly satisfied within Himself. Community is the means that God uses to sanctify us, to equip us, to teach us, all for the purpose of growing in Christ-likeness to better reflect His radiant glory.

So if you’re not in community, get into community. Introduce yourself to someone new this weekend after service. Spend five minutes looking for an unfamiliar face and make yourself known. Jesus did it for you, He’ll help you do it for others.