Community: To Gather
Community: To come together with other people.
A year-and-a-half ago I wrote a piece for a women’s conference. Ok to be honest, God gave me a piece to write. I don’t know how else to explain it but God will sometimes just give me something and I can’t stop writing. More often than not they are Spoken Words. This one was about gathering with people. The conference was called: ToGather and as I sat with the title before the LORD, this is what he gave me:
Come to the table
Come have a seat
There is one just for you, one that will allow you to be and eat
Come to the table
Come gather and see
There is no one that looks, acts, or thinks exactly like you or me.
Come to the table
Come and be
Meet a new person, and see how they see.
Come to the table
Come gather near
Time is not limited, linger longer and hear.
Come to the table
Come meet the Host
He has a purpose for you, listen close.
Come to the table
Invite others to come
Jesus has some things for us to learn, it’s a lesson about how we were all created to be one.
Come to the table
Come have a seat
You are invited, wanted, and welcomed… so come and be.
This Spoken Word ended up being the opening to the conference. It set the tone and the purpose of coming back together after that long season: COVID. I love this piece. I know that may sound weird because technically I put the pen to paper (really I pressed the keys on the computer), but ultimately this was God’s. I love the invitation to stay awhile, to learn, to enjoy. I love the last line: “You are invited, wanted, and welcomed … so come and be.” When I read this I literally can envision Jesus, setting up for a party and telling everyone to come. I can see the joy in his eyes as he shares his truest intention is to spend time with us and to get to know us as we get to know him. I can hear the genuine tone in his voice and the respect, compassion, and love he has. I hear the permission to come and not perform. I can see Jesus’ excitement… he has been waiting for this moment.
When I think about the word community, I want it to be displayed just like this Spoken Word. I want to create spaces: physical, emotional, spiritual, mental spaces; where people know they are invited, wanted and welcomed to come as they are and to enjoy all that God has for us in that moment together. It sounds like Heaven. It sounds like my Jesus.
May we become a people that allows the LORD of Hosts to teach us how to invite and welcome people into gathering today, tomorrow, and forever more.