A place to belong …

Like a great number of my generation, one of the formative TV shows of my late teens and university years was the US sitcom, Friends. I have very fond memories of winter evenings in my student house in Cardiff, wrapping ourselves up in our duvets to avoid over-spending on heating (who knew we'd still be doing that twenty years on!), hot chocolates in hand ready to watch who knows how many episodes in a row, as we got engrossed in the intertwined lives of Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Joey and Chandler.
 
There is reason that Friends was the one of the most popular television shows of all time - the series finale which aired in 2004 was watched by over 52 million American viewers, and who knows how many more outside of the US. Somehow it depicted perfectly something that most human beings long for: true friendship. The kind of friendship that means we are known and accepted, that means we belong, despite our quirks and peculiarities, our bad habits and our major flaws. The kind of friendship that means we can party when life is good and have a place to sob when it is tough.
 
One of the hallmarks of the early church was genuine friendship. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 - “because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” For him, being part of the church was not only a spiritual endeavour; it was about people sharing the whole of life together. He says in Galatians 6:2 - “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” Which is a surprisingly strong command when you think about it!
 
So what might that look like for you? In a big and busy place like HTR, it is not impossible to come and go every Sunday morning and enjoy the Service, and hopefully be spiritually fed and uplifted, and yet still be a bit anonymous, one of the crowd. Is that church? It is certainly part way there. But there is definitely more! For me, true friendships have always grown most naturally at church when I've been part of some kind of small group. A small group gives us the opportunity to get to know people in a more intentional way, and to be known in return. To bring our gifts and talents, and quirks and flaws, our joys and our sorrows … and to journey with Jesus together, sharing not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well. A bit like Friends, but actually real, and quite frankly a whole lot better!
 
While we're on the subject, we're in the process of setting up at least one new Life Group at the moment, and possibly more, so if you're not already in a group, and you've thought about joining one but have put it off for whatever reason, why not seize the moment? Let me know if you want to grab a coffee and find out more!

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash