PRAYER
God of relationship,
Creator who exists as Three-in-One,
You who designed us for connection,
We come before You today as Your gathered people.
We thank You for the journey of these past weeks,
For showing us the many ways we grow—
Through stewardship, through noticing,
Through simplicity, and now through community.
We confess, Father, that we have often treated faith
As a private matter between just You and us.
We have chosen convenience over commitment,
Comfort over covenant,
And independence over interdependence.
Forgive us for the ways we’ve withdrawn when wounded,
Disappeared when disappointed,
And isolated ourselves when most in need of others.
Thank You for this imperfect yet beautiful community of faith.
For the people who sit beside us today—
Some we know well, others barely at all,
Yet all bound together as Your body.
We give thanks for those who have carried us
When our own faith has faltered,
For those who have spoken truth when we needed to hear it,
For those who have shown us grace when we’ve fallen short,
And for those who have revealed Your love through their presence.
Holy Spirit, bind us together more deeply.
Help us move beyond surface relationships
Into the sacred vulnerability of true community.
Give us courage to be known,
Patience to know others,
And wisdom to create spaces of belonging.
May we be quick to celebrate and slow to criticize,
Ready to forgive and reluctant to withdraw,
Faithful in showing up and genuine in our care.
Lord Jesus, You who prayed that we might be one
As You and the Father are one,
Make our unity a witness to a fragmented world.
Let our love for one another be the evidence
That we are truly Your disciples.
As we conclude this series on growth,
Plant within us a renewed commitment to each other.
May State Street be a place where:
The lonely find family,
The wounded find healing,
The doubtful find space for questions,
And all of us find ourselves growing more fully into Your likeness.
We offer this prayer in the name of the One
Who called us not servants but friends,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
SERMON
POINT: Our deepest healing often comes through other people’s faithful
POINT: We’ve privatized faith in an age that was designed for
POINT: Digital consumption creates an illusion of connection without
POINT: Scripture doesn’t know of solitary saints—only
Psalm 133:1 NRSV
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
Hebrews 10:23-25 NRSV
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
“The church exists primarily for two closely correlated purposes: to worship God and to work for his kingdom in the world.” —N.T. Wright, Simply Christian
POINT: Commitment to community isn’t just something you feel—it’s something you
THE THINGS WE DO:
1. Commitment to community is a spiritual discipline.
2. Be honest about what holds you back.
3. Start with concrete commitments.
POINT: What we can accomplish together far exceeds what any of us can do