Kingdom of God

Being apart of the ministry that is "the gathering" has been such an incredible experience, and we're only 1 gathering in! The things that God has opened my eyes to and the relationships I've been able to form has been such a blessing. A week ago, during our last snow storm in the valley, I met with two incredible guys who are both sold out for the cause that Christ has called them to. All of Harrisonburg is slowly shutting down on account of the snow, and here we are waltzing into Mcalister's like nothings going on. We sat. We ate. We spoke. We shared. We felt. We loved. And my heart smiled. For the first time in a very long time, I felt a peace filled with such a happiness. I can't even describe it. As we did all these things, I was happy. I, was truly happy. I had encountered the Kingdom of God.

"Christ tells us through scripture that the "kingdom" is not something we must wait on death for. Rather we can begin living in a new and better way now; a way of life that Jesus referred to as the “Kingdom of God.” A life of love as an interactive community, connected through Christ Jesus."

These were some of the words that were spoken to me by one of these men I was talking about.

This new found reality of the Kingdom of God has warped so many of my views on so many different topics. Views, that I've realized, aren't even my views. They're other people's views. My parents, family, friends, teachers, etc. I've just picked them up, thrown them on my back, and carried them as my own through life.

But during that time of fellowship, of community, I was happy. Because I was experiencing, enjoying, and operating in the Kingdom of God. I was loving. I was seeking. I was building the Kingdom of Heaven.

I want to invite you, on as much of a personal note as I can be through this blog, to the next gathering. Come gather, come seek, come love, as we seek out and experience community in it's purest form and learn more about this "Kingdom of God."

With love,
---Thomas