With whom do I belong?
Finding belonging in the church community and extending hospitality to strangers.
In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, released a report declaring that the United States is suffering from an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation.” It states that “half of Americans (49%) in 2021 reported having three or fewer close friends,” an increase from 27% in 1990. Twelve percent of respondents said they had no close friends at all.
Suffice it to say, community is something that almost everyone is hungry for and simultaneously have overly romanticized. It often doesn’t take long for us to realize that the church is full of people that are just as flawed and difficult to be in relationship with as we are. Churches can some times be places that offer community, but can also fail to deliver on their promises. This is where we must begin to reimagine what it looks like to practice belonging in the community of the church.
Listen
“With Whom Do I Belong?” — The. Rev. Dan Marotta
Read
The Anglican Way by Thomas McKenzie
The Beautiful Community by Irwyn L. Ince Jr.
The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Where God Happens by Rowan Williams
Practice
Hospitality to Strangers—
Axiom #1: The front porch of the church is your front porch.
Axiom #2: Your kitchen table one of the most powerful tools you have for ministry. Extend invitations to belong to those who are new, friendless, and in need.
Register for Redeemer’s Foundation Class.
Confirmation and Membership—Confirmation by the Bishop of our Diocese is a one-time initiation practice that makes one an adult member of the global Anglican Communion and our local parish. Membership is annually renewed through pledging and participating in membership commitments.
Join a Redeemer Small Group—Weekly gathering with fellow parishioners for table fellowship, Bible reading, discussion, prayer, and care for one another.
Axiom: This is where we practice being Christians in close quarters. Small Groups participants are not necessarily your best friends, but you are practicing the basics of spiritual friendship together.
