Lord,
Belonging is a key emotional need
we humans have.
The need to belong.
Belonging means:
-not being isolated, not being left out,
-support in times of difficulty, help in times of hardship,
-access to a listener, an advocate, an accountability partner.
As followers of Jesus Christ,
we belong to a community of believers, the family of faith, a communion of forgiven sinners, a congregation of disciples seeking to be faithful.
Lord,
I have heard it said,
in the current culture of the United States, there is an epidemic of loneliness. We may be the most connected society due to technology and so called, "social" media. Yet, we are more and more isolated from one another.
Lord,
Help your church be
an antidote for isolation,
a safe space to find support,
a healing habitat,
a wellspring for wholeness,
a place of belonging.
As the hymn writer put it,
"Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.
Be present, Lord, among us and bring us to believe
We are ourselves accepted, and meant to love and live."
Lord,
Let it be so today.
Amen
_____________
The stanza quoted above is from the hymn, "Help Us Accept Each Other" written by Fred Kaan © 1975, Hope Publishing Company.
