I don’t often quote advertisements for Jim Beam – in fact, I never do – but a recent ad campaign for the Jim Beam whiskey company is entitled “People Are Good for You.” The basic idea behind the ad campaign is that it is good for people to be together. In the main commercial, a man in a bar starts to sing an a cappella version of “Sweet Caroline” and, by the end of the commercial, everyone in the bar is singing along. You can see it HERE. Even though Jim Beam isn’t my thing, I love the commercial and I agree with the sentiment: People are good for you.
This is borne out in recent studies on loneliness in that social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death (even more than smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity) and social isolation is associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia. You can find results of the study HERE.
If social isolation is dangerous and people are good for you, the church is uniquely positioned to be a place where people can gather together in many ways. We gather for worship, we gather for fellowship, we gather for service, and we gather for growing in faith. There are some great opportunities for getting together with people coming up and I want to tell you about them:
This Sunday, October 15, at 11:20 AM, I will be leading a “Being Presbyterian” class in the Blake Marston Youth Room (located on the lower level of the church–beneath Fellowship Hall). This class is for people who are new to BPC AND for people who have been part of our church family for years. We’ll talk about some of the history, and theology, and ways the church is organized that makes the Presbyterian Church what it is.
Also, starting in November, we will be holding the first gatherings of Spiritual Friendship Groups. We will be providing opportunities for people to gather in groups of 3-10 people at different meeting times and places (based upon peoples’ weekly/monthly schedules and proximity to one another). The purpose of these gatherings is to foster friendship with some spiritual components. Each gathering – which might be at a coffee shop or on a hike or over a meal – will include some simple questions to guide the group’s time together, a passage of scripture, and a prayer. If you would like to explore this great opportunity to get together with other people, click HERE to register.
Next Friday, October 20, we will be holding the first gathering of our Friday Faith and Fellowship Group. This will be a monthly gathering in someone’s home and will begin with a study of Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. If you’re interested, you can sign up HERE to receive information.
As Presbyterians, we believe that people are good for people because the Holy Spirit is alive and at work through people. So, let’s get together. . .
See you in church!
Grace and Peace,
John
Prepare for Worship
This Week: Your People are My People – Living Discipleship # 6 – Nurturing Spiritual Relationships
- Read Psalm 133
- Read Ruth 1:1-17
- Read Ruth 4:13-17
- Read or sing Hymn # 312 – “Take Us As We Are, O God”