Sioux teepee (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Grace Church Summer Reading Program: Lord, Make My Life a Miracle by Ray and Anne Ortlund. Chapter Five: “Put it together with other believers”

Do you have a tribe?

Although there are some significant gaps in my family’s known genealogy, we do know that we have a close connection to the Cheyenne and Blackfoot Indian nations.

Sometimes the tribal longing of my Native American bloodline still stirs in my soul, and I yearn for a place where I belong.  Although I crave solitude at times, there is still something in my soul that needs a place to connect. Some people call that place a “band of brothers” or a “community” or a “small group,” but regardless of its name it is a rare and wonderful place.

And you don’t need Native American blood to hunger for it.

From the opening pages of the Bible we are told that it is not good for mankind to be alone (Genesis 2:18), and then all through the ensuing biblical narrative we see God placing His followers in community.

• Moses had Aaron
• David had Jonathan
• Jesus had Peter, James, John, and the other disciples
• Paul had Barnabus, Silas, Luke, Titus, and Timothy (and the list goes on…)
• The 1^st century Christians had one another

If the tribal element of your Christian faith is lacking, then you are missing out on some incredible encouragement, strength, and life that is available to you.

This is not a “join one of our small groups” sales pitch; however, if you have yet to “connect” in a significant way with our Grace Church community, please take the time and pay the price to find a niche where you can belong. God wants you to find a place where you can be strengthened, stretched, supported, and where YOU can invest in the lives of OTHERS as well.

Your tribe needs you.

For more information about our summer reading program go to www.gracechurchlaverne.org.