Gathered and Growing Together
Psalm 133:1 — How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
I was thinking about church picnics the other day.
Church picnics were once a big deal.
I mean big, big.
Folding tables covered with homemade food. Kids running everywhere. Somebody stringing up a volleyball net. And at least one person convinced their potato salad was the reason everybody came.
That’s how it was when I was a kid, and honestly, we had the best time.
I got to go to church with my cousins, and the ten of us would disappear on some adventure while the adults talked around the tables.
Through the years, we ate together, laughed together, and watched our own kids become friends.
Lately, it feels like a lot of that has disappeared.
Maybe life got busier.
Maybe our calendars got fuller.
Maybe we just got used to rushing from one thing to the next.
But I realized something.
I don’t actually miss the food.
Trust me, those church ladies could cook.
But what I really miss is what happened around those folding tables.
The stories.
The friendships.
The laughter.
Nobody was trying to impress anybody.
We were just there.
And there’s a reason Scripture says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”
That doesn’t mean everyone agrees on everything.
It means there is something beautiful when God’s people choose to be together—to know one another, love one another, make room for one another, and enjoy one another.
I think that’s part of the harvest, too.
Yes, we’re called to go out into the world and share what God has given us.
But God also grows something in us when we gather around the table.
When we slow down long enough to hear each other’s stories.
When we laugh together.
When we notice who might be sitting alone.
When we choose relationship over another item on the calendar.
So maybe it’s time to bring back the church picnic.
It doesn’t have to be an actual picnic.
It could be coffee after church.
Dinner with another family.
Inviting someone over.
Or simply pushing back the calendar and saying, “Stay a little longer.”
Because sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is make time to be together.
And before you get any big ideas, just know…
I’m bringing the potato salad.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Who are the people in your life you genuinely enjoy being around, and when was the last time you intentionally made time for them?
- Has busyness or a full calendar caused you to lose some of the simple relationships and connections that once mattered to you?
- Is there someone in your church, family, or community who might be feeling disconnected or alone? What could you do to make room for them?
- What does “living together in unity” look like in your relationships right now? Is there someone you need to listen to, forgive, encourage, or simply spend time with?
- What is one thing you could say no to this week so you could say yes to more meaningful time with people?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
Who is God inviting me to slow down for—to share a meal, hear their story, or simply enjoy being together?
