Better Together

I you are a fan of Jack Johnson, as I am, you already know his song, Better Together. You can watch Jack's performance here: http://youtu.be/seZMOTGCDag
I think Better Together would make a great theme song for this blog. Truly, things are 'better together.'

When we look back over our lives, thinking of those times when we felt at our best, don't they all involve time we've spent with other people? A family vacation, a great birthday party, a hike with friends, the first date with our future mate, a game of Monopoly or Scrabble, lunch with our co-workers, a conference with other believers,  a wedding? Even difficult times, visiting a friend in the hospital or attending a funeral, when we a part of a group we feel more alive, more connected.

God, as He functions in the Trinity, is in relationship. The Father, Son and Spirit commune with each other and with us. He designed us for companionship too ... we are made in His image. Our personalities bloom, our virtues and foibles appear, our lives take on new meaning, when we spend time with those we love. Even when we are separated by miles of ocean or land ... unable to be together physically ... we can still experience the warmth of friendship via a phone call, a letter or on the Internet.

Over the past year I've been reading the New Testament, from Matthew through Revelation, over each quarter. I've used four different translations of the Bible. On Oct. 1st I began again, this last time using Phillip's paraphrase of the New Testament. I've been struck, each time I read through the Gospels, by how much time Jesus spent with other people. Of course, we don't have a complete record of every day of his 30 years here on earth, but what we do have shows him almost always in relationship with others.

From healing all the sick who were brought to him, teaching the multitudes, spending time with his friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha, walking on the shores of Lake Galilee with his disciples, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, appearing to over 500 people after his resurrection, time and again, we find him in the presence of other people. He had to slip away at night or early in the morning just to spend a little time alone. But the crowds still found him. He attracted huge crowds: 5000 men (not counting women & children) one time and 3000 another. Yet he had time to gather a child in his arms to make the point that we must humble ourselves if we want to be a part of his kingdom.

In our modern world, we rarely have the opportunity to be in such constant contact with others. We all value our independence, our privacy. We feel drained when we spend a day with family, on Thanksgiving or Christmas. We scurry home to our sanctuary ... glad to be alone again. But how often does that time alone make us feel alienated, depressed and blue? We can easily slip into distorted views of reality. We need other people to see ourselves and the world clearly.

That's the value I'm hoping this blog will bring: a place and a time to connect with others ... even though we aren't physically present to each other. We can still utilize this blog to express our thoughts, share our hopes, recount our joys or ask for help. I pray that we will form a new community: a safe place to visit each day and find renewal and refreshment for our souls.

Won't you join me as we explore the Spiritual Disciplines? Hopefully you'll find that Time Together Today is one more way we become "better together."