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For the last two years, my husband and I have been entering 5K races. We both agreed it was time to step it up in the exercise department, since we are not getting any younger.
We've always exercised, but not consistently. Now, we are on a regular schedule to keep ourselves healthy and our muscles strong.
One aspect of joining these races we both enjoy and look forward to is the community feeling that seeps out everywhere. We have found:
- Laughter
- A sense of belonging
- Conversations with people we would never have met
- Opportunities to volunteer
- A "we're in this together" attitude
- "See you at the next race" feeling
All sizes and ages participate. We encourage each other along the course right up to the finish line. The timers who are stationed at intervals on the course, call out our time as we pass by - most will always say "you're almost there, good job, keep going".
Christian Community should be this and so much more.
Community in the Christian sense was well depicted in the New Testament in Acts 2:42-47. This community was known for its devotion to Christ's teachings and its love for each other.
In this view, the Christian community is simply those who love Jesus and live in relationship with Him and fellowship with each other. But their community didn't end there. It reached into towns, cities and globally - this love for Christ and love for others.
We, above all, should be people who encourage community, not just in our churches or with other believers but with people of all walks of life in the cities, towns and neighborhoods we live in.
Our community-feeling is supposed to reach across boundaries and build bridges.
When our cities, towns and neighborhoods see this action in us, maybe it will cause them to see the true love of Christ.
Just as the races my husband and I run each year bring out the best of community in all participants, so should the race we run in Christ bring out the best in us as a community of Christians.
Let's build bridges......
"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father". Matthew 5:16
Community in the Christian sense was well depicted in the New Testament in Acts 2:42-47. This community was known for its devotion to Christ's teachings and its love for each other.
In this view, the Christian community is simply those who love Jesus and live in relationship with Him and fellowship with each other. But their community didn't end there. It reached into towns, cities and globally - this love for Christ and love for others.
We, above all, should be people who encourage community, not just in our churches or with other believers but with people of all walks of life in the cities, towns and neighborhoods we live in.
Our community-feeling is supposed to reach across boundaries and build bridges.
When our cities, towns and neighborhoods see this action in us, maybe it will cause them to see the true love of Christ.
Just as the races my husband and I run each year bring out the best of community in all participants, so should the race we run in Christ bring out the best in us as a community of Christians.
Let's build bridges......
"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father". Matthew 5:16
Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you neecee!
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