WRITTEN BY TIM LABRECHE
Normally at church on Sundays, I like to sit up closer to the stage. I prefer this for a few reasons, When I’m up close, I feel like I’m immersed in the worship. The beat of the worship in my chest, the lights circling around, and because there are no empty seats around me, I feel as if I’m in a sea of praise when we all worship together. All those are true, but the biggest reason is that I struggle with Squirrel Syndrome. If you’ve ever seen the movie Up, you’ll understand. I can be a lot like the dog Doug in the movie. You see, I can get distracted easy. If I’m too far back I have a larger field of vision of things that may catch my eye and take the focus away from why I’m at church. It may be a young couple coming in and looking for a place to sit. It could be an adorable child just playing by themselves, or in a church as large as ours, I could simply start looking for people I know. That’s why I like to be closer to the front.
As much as I love the up-front experience at church, we’ve recently started sitting in the way back, and I’m okay with it. I’ll explain why later.
This last Sunday in church, Pastor Jeff was talking about one way to freedom being friendship. In context, I believe he was referring to having one or two close friends that are your inner circle; someone in your life that would be your vault-someone you could trust with anything. Someone to confess your sins to (James 5:16) or that you love as much as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).
I am blessed to have those types of relationships throughout my 55 years. One of my closest friends was at my first birthday party in 1972. Others I’ve gained along the journey. If you’ve read what I’ve written in years past, you know that I am still tight with my best friends from high school. Not only do we have a text thread between the seven of us that is added to daily, but we call each other to check-in often. Once a year for a long weekend, we gather together somewhere in the country to share life together. We always find some fun things to do, like indoor karting in Grand Rapids or hiking in the hills in Georgia, but often my favorite part of the weekend is when we gather around the campfire at night and share our hearts, our victories, and our struggles. We’re gut-level honest with each other. The scripture I always associate with this group of men is Proverbs 27:17 that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” That’s what we do. We keep each other sharp and ready for battle. It’s no stretch to say, that I look forward to that weekend every year. It’s always a highlight for me. We are a solid, unified group of men.
Hebrews 10:25 says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Throughout our entire marriage, Sheila and I have always been involved in small groups. Whether at Ada Bible, Central Wesleyan, Le Mars Bible or now at Sunnybrook, these groups have been a vital lifeline of community for us.
When we were first married in 1995 we attended Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Within months of being newlyweds, we were placed in a “young married, no kids” small group. We were all at the same stage together and I think that was a unique bond for all of us. We gelled quickly. Those couples were invaluable to us. Most of us had kids around the same time and we became family. We may have all moved from that church and that group, but the bond hasn’t wavered. We still connect when Sheila and I return to Michigan for a visit. It’s a priority to visit our friends who just purchased a restaurant to support them and show them love. We will text each other when an old memory or inside joke comes to mind. We still pray for and encourage each other. We have been united through our relationship and love for Christ.
We’ve also been involved in impactful and meaningful small groups throughout our time at other churches we’ve attended in Holland, Michigan and here in Le Mars. Each one encouraging us to draw deeper to our Savior.
In our Side by Side community, we have the same dynamic of living life together. We celebrate our victories together when they come. The reverse is true too. When we struggle, we’re there too. There have been times when I personally have had to confess something. It’s never easy to share your shortcomings, but in true, authentic, and transparent relationship, it’s essential and brings freedom without condemnation. I can say that about everyone in each of the groups I’ve mentioned.
These people, these pockets of protection, have been a saving grace for me. In times of pain, they’ve been a balm to my heart. In times of celebration, we’ve rejoiced together. I can’t fathom what my life would look like without them.
What about you? Do you have a community? Do you have people in your life that you can share the good, bad, and ugly? If not, ask our God to show you what that might look like for you. Many churches have small groups that you could join. Or maybe, it’s reaching out to those that you were once tight with and lost connection. It only takes a spark to reconnect.
Oh yeah… why do I love sitting in the back of the sanctuary on Sundays now?
Because that’s where many of the people in our current small group like to sit. As much as I love the experience of being down closer, I love being close to the people I share life with. Our current small group is such a blessing to me. Even though at times it may interfere with watching a Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon football game, I look forward to our times together digging into the Word and sharing our lives together.
I love my commUNITY!
