I’ve been out on the race for almost two months now and I haven’t been to a church service since I left Michigan. You know, a Sunday morning church service. Part of that was due to getting covid in Romania so I couldn’t go and the other part is that there hasn’t been a church nearby in Albania to attend. Despite that, this has been the most involved in the church that I’ve ever been to. That’s because, as a lot of you have probably heard before, the church isn’t a building, it’s the people.
The 33 other people on my squad have been my church for the last two months. And especially my team as we are finally on our own away from the rest of the squad starting this week. I can’t help but see the Acts 2 church in these people that I’m with.
“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Acts 2: 44-46
We share almost everything we brought with us with each other. We live together and share every meal together. We share the Word with one another. We’re family. We are made one in Christ.
The community we have is so amazing. I can’t tell you the number of times already that my team and the squad as a whole have come around me and probably everyone on the squad at some point or another because they were struggling. We lift each other up, encourage each other, forgive one another if someone has sinned, push them to go outside their comfort zone and beyond themselves, and just love them. Two weeks ago I shared with the whole squad with something I was struggling with and they just lifted me up in prayer and loved me so well.
Us being the church isn’t just for our own benefit but also for the benefit of those we are trying to reach with the gospel. Just a few days ago the girl who runs the Airbnb we are staying at said that we are so different from anyone she’s met before. A part of that for sure comes from the fact that we are the first Americans she has ever met but she was talking about how we thank her for what she does for us constantly. Also, surprised by our willingness to help out with anything that she needs to get done. That we are constantly checking in on her and just saying her name more than she’s used to. Just surprised that we see her so well and love her. That’s all a part of being the church.
The people on my team and my squad are all so amazing. Each of us shows a different side to the vastness of God. Through how each one of us loves both each other and the world we show the different ways that God loves.
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12:4-5
