6/9/97 Intimacy
Dear Friends:
(If it is welcome and a blessing, send it on to others,Lee)
Intimacy.
As this list continues to grow, I hurt with the idea that intimacy begins to wane. And I confess its like that in our church. As new members come the intimacy starts to dissolve a little. One of the reasons I began a cell church was to provide people with the intimacy of one on one. A heart cell functions better with other heart cells, a finger with other fingers. We all need each other, but my heart cells do not spend all that much time with my fingers.
I enjoy all the letters I receive and I do not think I have not responded to a single one (though I am actually am thinking about letting my kids plug in with some of the younger ones I get). But as the numbers climb so does the ability to answer in a full depth manner.
Why do I say all this? I know my relationship with you is shallower than the one I have with my congregation or my family, and neither of those come close to the one I have with Jesus. He is my number one relationship. I enjoy the hundreds of letters and prayer requests. I share them with my best friend, Jesus.
You and I may never meet, and yet a relationship is in place, and prayerfully some of them have grown. There are people out on this list with hearts of gold. I receive letters of ministries that many of us wouldn't look at. For some I realize that this is a lifeline as it goes to missionaries about the world, for some its a relationship where their friends haven't been allowed in because of pain.
Jesus fills this need for intimacy for me in so many ways. As a church leader there are so many things I can not talk about. People come to me with so many things that just rock the depths of my soul. (Never think things are so bad, there will always be a harder life that will step into yours and change your perspective.)
The body of Christ needs intimacy. Yes, we need Jesus, but we also need to develop some solid relationships in the body. Many of you have these, and yet perhaps they need to be strengthened. Some of you have none, because of troubles and COW's (Cares Of the World). The hurts that have been done can go away, Jesus would not tell us to love one another, to edify and encourage, if it was not possible. It is easy to get lost in larger churches not structured to bring intimacy and one on one. The devil has convinced some of us that being safe is easier without relationships. Computers make it easy to isolate.
A few months ago a man introduced a phrase that has much meaning to me. Be the church, advance the kingdom. Very simple, very powerful. To be the church, we must be one in body and spirit. Intimate, flowing, advancing because we are maturing and doing the Father's work.
Intimacy-a scary word for some, but prayerfully you will see the need for relationship, for developing some new ones, and strengthening some older ones. My hope is to receive some praise letters from you about a relationship that has grown or one that has new depths.
Selah.
Shalom.
We pray for you, each and every day. If this is an encouragement to you. Please tell us, and please email it to someone else. If you have a prayer request, please mail it to us. We want to stand with you, battling spiritual wickedness, seeing people made free. We want to serve our brother and sister.
In the Service of Christ for His Glory,
Lee Johndrow
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please mail us at:
154 Paddock Road
Springfield, Vermont 05156
For those who support us in prayer and deed we appreciate it.
Thank you,
Lee & Tina Johndrow
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