Hearing the Beauty of Christ in Community
The doors swing open, and the sound swells.
Stop and listen.
This is a holy moment.
It’s the loudest part of Saturday morning’s Community Ministry—neighbors talking to neighbors, greetings at the door, warm hellos at the welcome desk. It’s not just noise; it’s a symphony.
Voices rise in layers—excited tones, weary tones, grateful tones—each one distinct, yet somehow blending into a beautiful harmony. In those opening minutes, the room fills with a kind of music that reminds us: we belong to one another.
It’s a moment that helps us see more clearly—each person not as another in need, but as someone beloved. It inspires us to extend that welcome even further, to be the kind of community where everyone feels seen, known, and loved.
We were made with bodies that sense—eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to touch, tongues to taste, noses to smell. When we have been sitting at Jesus’ feet, like Mary, growing close to him, those everyday senses become sacred instruments. We hear the sounds of the morning becoming the voice of Christ saying again and again, “You are loved. You belong. You are not alone.” We see his presence in the faces of our neighbors. We taste communion in the food and fellowship we share with each other and with Jesus. As we learn to sit close to Christ, we recognize the transformation of the ordinary into holy.
Stop and listen.
Do you hear the symphony?
April Kennedy
Minister of Abundant Community
