Rhythms of Relationship

Like all of you, my life has been disrupted by everything we’re doing to fight the spread of COVID-19.  

For all of us, our daily and weekly activities provide a stable pulse that maintains our relationships, connects us to community, and gives us a sense of vitality and purpose. Our lives need rhythms for us to stay sane and effective as human beings.

Last week, I walked into Caribou coffee, and right away my heart skipped a beat.  Most days this has been a place where I greet my favorite baristas – Chris, Sarah and Haley -- get my coffee, settle in to work, and talk with my friend Daniel.  But on that day, all the chairs were on top of the tables and pushed together, and I wasn’t able to get into my normal daily rhythm.

From school closures to working from home; our kids’ sporting events are getting cancelled; our favorite restaurants are closed, our workout routines are interrupted as the doors to the gym are locked. This pandemic really has changed almost every pattern in our lives.  

Maybe you’re like me, and you feel your life is suddenly skipping a beat. Without the normal cadences like connecting with the people we love, we’re suddenly feeling a sense of sadness and loss. It is hard to find purpose in all of this disruption.

Well, I want you to know that Jesus offers us hope!

God knows we need a cadence in life to maintain our sense of purpose and connection with each other. Through the Spirit of God, the heartbeat of Jesus establishes the rhythms of relationship and the pulse of purpose in our lives.

The Bible tells us in Galatians chapter 5, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”  “Keeping in step with the Spirit” is Bible’s way of summarizing the rhythm of life we can have with Jesus.

The heart of Jesus beats with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  When our hearts beat in sync with His, we don’t need rules and rituals to regulate our relationships or give us purpose!

Our relationships flourish in the midst of challenging circumstances when we think of new ways to love, to show kindness, and to faithfully stay in contact with friends.

Jesus’ patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control allow us to let someone else have the last package of Clorox wipes when there’s not enough for everyone.  His inner joy and peace characterize our reactions when the external rhythms of daily life come undone.

The routines of where we go and what we do are secondary to the driving purpose in our lives. Instead, our purpose is to bring the steadying rhythm of His presence into the lives of those around us.

Last week, I couldn’t see my friend, Daniel, at Caribou.  We are both going through a season of loss.  Each of our fathers died recently and just yesterday, my family held a funeral for my Mom who passed away last Friday.  Talking with Daniel about loss is comforting and it gives us the chance to explore the spiritual questions of life and death.

It struck me.  I can still talk with my friend even if it doesn’t fit in the disruptions of COVID-19.  So, I called Daniel and now we’re having coffee dates over the phone.  I hope this will help us both experience the rhythms of relationship and purpose God’s designed for us.

I want to challenge you! As COVID-19 interrupts your life routines, take the opportunity to get in step with the Spirit. Set up a rhythm of contact with someone in your life. Share Jesus’ heartbeat!  

Faith Community we want to support you in this challenge.  We’ve established a weekly rhythm of online resources for you. All of these are accessible through fcchudson.com, the FaithBase App, and our Facebook page.

One great way to establish some new rhythms is to join us for our Live online services at 9:00 and 11:00am on Sunday mornings. And invite a friend or loved one to join you so we can spread the good news with as many people as possible.  

We want to remind you, that your worries, fears and anxieties matter to God. They matter to us. And we're here to encourage and support you! Would you help us to help as many people as possible? Pass along this video to a friend or neighbor through a text, email or social media! Thank you!