The Gathering - In Action
by Pastor Mike Mercurio
Last Sunday, “The Gathering” met for the first time from 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. There were four groups spread throughout the sanctuary. Adults, children and teenagers all participated together in an atmosphere that was casual and relaxed. At the same time, it was purposeful, helping to prepare our hearts for worship.
If you missed it, you may be wondering what they did and how it led into the worship service. Among other things, the groups accomplished two things.
First, they met together and fostered a sense of unity that is very important to God. It was one of the last things that Jesus prayed for while he was on earth. John 17:20-23, “I pray for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. … May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Second, they gave thanks to God, recognizing that he is our creator, sustainer, and provider. We owe everything to him and our thanksgiving is an offering of worship. Psalm 100:4-5, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
This offering is from the heart and it means more to God than mere formalities of worship. Psalms 69:30-31, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox and more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.”
Please join us this Sunday, starting at 10:30. Participating is easy. Just think of something that you are always thankful for and something that you are thankful for recently. Sit with your friends or make new ones. Meeting together ahead of time unites us as a community of believers and is a testimony to the world that God loves us!