GAME CONTINUED-PART DOS

 We began our conversation about football---in fact all things concerning ball type games---yesterday.  It should not surprise you that I have more than one thought on the subject since it seems to be all many think about during the fall season.  There is a range of teams beginning just post toddler and ending with the BIG LEAGUES of professionals in football.  I have friends who speak of their spouses watching football every night of the week.  I can certainly enjoy an exciting football game, but as we recently discussed--ALL things in moderation!

At the beginning meeting of our Fall Bible Study we discussed groups we had been a part of over the years and what they had meant to us.  I have been a part of small groups since the early days of their inception, for decades now.  The fact is I was not certain I wanted to participate in the beginning--after all we were in a Sunday School class.  It turned out--small groups were Sunday School with an added splash of community.  A more relaxed atmosphere---community was built as trust was learned.  My good friend and I often speak of the difference between Bible Study and small groups.  Bible study (which I am attending) is 95% study of The Word---with very little time spent on relationship building.  Small group is all about building relationships while studying The Word.  There is merit to each group.

I gave this analogy when it came my turn to speak of my history with groups~

"We laughingly call these Holy Huddles.  The huddle is a football ritual where, before each play, (for simplification we will not talk about no-huddle plays) the quarterback (leader) gets his team together in a huddle.  They are given the next play and the part everyone will play.  The quarterback encourages the players and spurs them on to do their best.  They then encourage each other-with verbal high fives(figuratively).  When it is time to run the play--they all clap their hands and say 'BREAK!'.  This signals the time to line up and run the play---get in the game which is outside of the huddle.

So it can be with small group.  We meet in our Holy Huddles to study the play book, encourage one another, lift each other up to The High Coach, and build a community of support.  BUT---the real point behind the huddle comes when we BREAK and reenter the world.  We are preparing ourselves to go out into the world with Christ written all over us.  

Many of my favorite memories on the Road to Sanctification have been in Small Groups.  I am so thankful for God's provision of community.  Community who love us, though we all have feet of clay, supports us when we are down, and encourages us to live a life of faith. God did created man to be in community and I am thankful for the Holy Huddles.

"Finally, all of you

have unity of mind

sympathy,

brotherly love

a tender heart

and a humble mind."

I Peter 3:18