The Ability to Connect is Awesome

Who do you connect with? When I say, “connect” I mean on a deep, intimate, and honest level. Connecting at this level with another human is life-giving, life-changing, and life-altering. Blessed is the person that has at least one person for which connection is easy and often.

Sadly, however, many of us will not be able to name a single person that fits the definition of connection given. And the number is even less if we ask, how many of us have that intimate connection with a person we call father. Truth is that many times our fathers have failed us. Generally, it is not because they were willfully negligent, or purposely irresponsible, or intentionally distant, but rather, they themselves did not know how to connect.

Interestingly, studies indicate that we often see our Heavenly Father in the same way we connect with an earthly father. We celebrate great preachers and teachers in the church, but what we need is spiritual fathers. Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian Church to correct this view, by saying,  “I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15  Even though you have ten thousand guardians (teachers) in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 4:14-15)

There is a lot of teaching on coaching, mentoring, and discipling in Christian literature, podcasts and various forms of online streaming. What we desperately need is men who will give themselves to learning and the development of the ability and value to be intimate in the context of connecting with another person, so they in turn can have the ability to connect with others. Not in a controlling, domineering or stifling sense, but coming alongside, encouraging, cheering from the sidelines, and stepping up when asked.

I loved my dad, but he did not have the ability to model deep intimacy with me during my youth. I don’t fault him. It was just the culture in which he lived and experienced. Life altering was the day when God spoke to me and told me to find another person who can be that “spiritual” father in my life. I made a decision that moment to involve others in my life as mentors, coaches, or if you will, spiritual fathers. It was the best decision I made for my own spiritual formation.

This Sunday, I will speaking on Spiritual Fathers in honoring of Father’s day.

I am looking forward to being with you all. I welcome you to invite family and friends to come along and join us in person or online.

Sunday Celebration

This Sunday, we will be meeting personally at the church @10:30am. We are so glad to be able to gather again, your presence is so important. We really need you to confirm your presence for us to be able to prepare the hall properly to receive you. So please do not hesitate to contact us; we need this information to reopen the church. The usual online options (Facebook and KCF.Online.Church) will also be available.

Jim Reimer, Pastor

June 17, 2021