Gathered

We really are different, aren’t we?

Unique.

Special.

Deserving of the expression, “Well, bless her heart.”

It was God’s crazy idea to gather all different kinds of people and assemble them together as the church – the family of God.

Wouldn’t it have just been simpler to have us all go our own way and do our own thing?

We’re all soooooo different.

Yet, God chose to save us and join us – not only to Himself, but also to each other as one big family… the church.

Yikes!

It’s hard enough trying to get along with our natural families – let alone this new spiritual family!

I have a theory about this…

I think the ark was God’s test.

The ark was God’s trial run for the church.

God said, “I’m gonna get a big boat and put loads of animals in it. After 40 days, if the crocodile hasn’t eaten the monkey, I think I might be able to make this happen with human beings.”

Fast forward to today: every Sunday, creatures come in two by two out of the parking lot and into the church.

You see families of crocodiles snapping at each other as they come into church.

You see the peacocks strutting around.

You see the mice and the elephants and the giraffes and the walruses and the cats and the dogs and the wildebeests…

We all come in to the church… and if we make it through the day without devouring each other – victory!

Perhaps the ark was a test.

Maybe God said, “Well, if the monkey survived this thing, my people can gather together as the church.”

HERE’S WHAT I DO KNOW: GOD GATHERS. THE ENEMY SCATTERS.

God gathers families. The enemy’s tactic is to scatter families.

God gathers his church. The enemy works to scatter the church.

Yeah, we are unique and special.

We’re very different.

But God has brought us together.

And together we’re better.

Together we’re stronger.

Gathered is God’s idea… and His grace makes it work.