The other day while I was working in the library at a local college, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between a couple of young women who knew each other and were surprised to see each other in that setting. After a few moments of small talk, the conversation ended but not before one woman said, “Hey, we should hang out together soon,” and the other, responded, “Yea, you know,  we should.”

 

Almost weekly I receive a notification from”LinkedIn” a business social website, that someone would like to connect with me. Wow, isn’t that cool… someone wants to become my friend. 

 

Amazing, all around us we find people, living rather isolated lives, some narcissistic, some merely lonely, but almost everyone looking for the benefits that come from engaging with another person. 

 

And why not, God, who is by his very nature, a social “person”, crafted us in his own image, provided the first man a perfectly compatible partner; then communicated with the crown of his creation on a regular basis, and encouraged them to fill the earth, thereby creating families, tribes, nations.. you get the idea. 

 

Like it or not, the two most important commands from God are

• Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and
• Love your fellow man, (love the brethren)

In the fullness of time, God sent His son for a generation that needed their relationship with God restored, and in so doing, He called the Church into existence. His church, not the PTA, not the AYSO soccer league, not the bowling league, baseball team, or any other society or club, now serves as the primary medium for people to gather, to interact, and to share the most intimate details of their walk on this earth with others who share the same spiritual DNA as they do. “Sorry, God, no time, got to _____ tonight…”

 

By the way, it should not surprise you that 12 step programs for addictive behavior require their members show up to regular meetings with their peers. It works, because long ago, God set in place an assembly that was to serve the wide range of needs that redeemed sinners all have: Worship, learning, prayer, and fellowship.

 

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread  in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Acts 2:46

 

So, let’s think about where we “hang out” and why?