MAY92023

We are reminded often nowadays of the importance of having a personal  connection with Jesus. He wants to walk with us as we go through the stuff of life. But the evidence of the early Church is that the personal, while necessary, is not sufficient. We also need to be connected with other believers. It is the communal dimension that helps to keep us from creating God in our image instead of the other way around. That is why from the very beginning the Church became structured. They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith. The “presbyters” had as their mission to call the faithful together and to make sure that people weren’t wandering off the deep end. That mission continues in the church today with our pastors and other leaders.