Doing Life Together

Jean and I returned on Wednesday from a trip to visit David and the grandkids in Alabama. It was a smooth trip and a very good visit. On this trip we met several of David's friends. They are wonderful people.

Today I was talking with my sister Nancy (who is recovering from shoulder surgery) about the ways in which our churches help us get through life. She used a couple great phrases which I plan to use myself. One is "doing life together." We all need one or more "affinity groups," groups of people with whom we share our life journey. The second phrase was "honest and safe." The two adjectives describe the qualities that our groups must have if they are to help us. A group must be honest, or we never reveal what is really happening in our lives. A group must also be safe. If it is not safe our confidences will be betrayed and our struggles will be turned into cheap gossip for other people,

A good "small group" or "support group" (or whatever you want to call it) lets us share the joys and the burdens of life. When one is struggling he or she gains strength from others. At a later time that same one will have resources to help others who face hard times. People find affinity groups in many places, but the church is in a good position to create these groups and to nurture them over the years.

I have a collections of friendships and people who provide support, but I can see the importance of having a few places where these are true groups rather than loose networks. We all need people to journey with us, groups of friends with whom we can do life together.