This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. I John 1:5-7

The Thursday morning men’s prayer group was wrestling with the first chapter of I John a few weeks ago, spending considerable time talking about walking in darkness, walking in light, and having fellowship with each other. As the thoughts were exchanged my mind drifted back to an experience I had had the weekend before. Perhaps it would be relevant to our discussion that morning?

If you are familiar with disc golf, you know about Bomberger’s Store north of Lititz. For the uninitiated, picture throwing a small, hard Frisbee at a steel basket. Like golf, where you need different clubs for different situations, there are specific discs for certain distances, dogleg directions, etc. Bomberger’s has made a commitment to the disc golf community in a significant way, dedicating a sizeable portion of its shelf and rack space to the sale of discs. Like golf, this is an addiction that can suck you in. You always need one more club or one more disc! Recently, they created a store within a store, giving it its own outside entrance and business name, Tree Magnets. Once you’ve played a round of disc golf you understand how appropriate that name is! I wandered in recently and was amazed at the sub-culture in which I found myself. Rack after rack of discs – over 21,000 discs the owner told me – were on display. But what caught my eye, and what came to my mind during the discussion around the tables that Thursday morning, was the large display of glow-in-the-dark discs filling one corner of the shop.

Disc golf played at night has become quite popular and requires its own array of glow-in-the-dark discs. Each of these special discs glow brightly as they slice through the night air like a series of small comets. But if they are not exposed to light, the discs will fade over time, so keeping them exposed to light between outings is important. To me, the lesson was obvious. “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” If we are not exposing ourselves to the light of Christ on a regular basis, then we, like the discs, begin to fade.

And the scripture continues. “…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,…” Once more I was drawn back to the Tree Magnets store and the brief conversation I had there. In pointing out the glow-in-the-dark discs the owner explained that right now, during the day, it isn’t as obvious, but at night when the store lights go out it is amazing how much light the disc display provides. One disc by itself would definitely provide light, but hundreds of discs in community with each other will light the entire room. Again, to me the analogy is clear. We need each other! Sure, you don’t have to be part of a faith community to be a light to those around you, but when you are, the light will shine all the brighter.

We do need each other, and to that end, may I encourage you to consider the community opportunities available to you as part of this faith community? Maybe one of these will appeal to you:

• Start a disc golf club. Get together and play as often as you like! Not into golf of any type? Find those with similar interests (knitting, photography, hiking, reading, you get the idea) and gather on a regular basis for sharing your talents, passions, and life together, and encourage one another in your faith journeys.
• Each Thursday morning approximately 15 men gather in the Fellowship Hall at 6:00 a.m. to eat together, share concerns and pray for each other, and dive into scripture. We read through a book of the Bible, verse by verse, and wrestle with what we find. Phil Hostetter, Rick Barnett, Jack Hess, Stu Landis, and Alan Miller provide team leadership and can answer your questions. There is plenty of room for you!
• Another community is the Wednesday evening prayer group that meets in room 209 at 7:00 p.m. Open to everyone, they share prayer concerns and spend time worshipping together. Holly Shaub, Elaine Eckman, Deb Smith, and Leroy Sailor would be good people to contact if you are interested.
• Join the choir, bell choir, or a worship team! Contact Rashard Allen for more details.
• Consider joining an existing small group, or with a few friends, begin a new group. Chat with Eszter Bjorkman if you want to consider one of these options.
• Join, or reengage with, a Sunday School class on Sunday mornings. Perhaps consider the Coffee and Conversation group that meets in the Fellowship Hall.
• Worship together at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Let your light join those around you and bring glory to Christ.

This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it a closed list. It is limited only by your imagination. Please, in all that you do, walk in the light (and glow in the dark!) as he is in the light, and have fellowship with one another.