Stronger Closer Together
Attending a seeker church as I do, the constant question is “Don’t we need to go deeper?” “Are we ‘fast food church,’ looking to make following Jesus quick-serve . . . high calorie, low cost, low value?” “Are people going to become deeply rooted in Jesus through our church?”
So, recently I turned to Scripture looking for the phrase “deeply rooted.” I found “firmly rooted” (Psalm 1:3), “old roots” (Job 14:7), and “rotted roots” (Isaiah 5:24).
Jesus called Himself “the root” (in Revelation 22:16). Finally, I found something called the Montgomery New Testament that translates Ephesians 3:17 to include the words “deeply rooted.” Maybe it’s the parable of the sower and how Jesus talks about ‘good soil’ that leads us to think the best roots are deep roots.
But consider the redwood trees of America’s Pacific Coast. Many of these redwoods exceed 300 feet, with the tallest tree clocking in at 379 feet . . . or even taller than the Statue of Liberty. Some are believed to be more than 2,000 years old. These gigantic trees have very shallow root systems. Their roots extend more than 100 feet from the base, intertwining with the roots of other redwoods. This interconnectedness is the secret to their stability and strength.
To me, being rooted in Jesus means having a solid faith. Faith in the reality of His deity, His death, His resurrection, and His presence in my life. The best way to survive and thrive in that faith is by becoming a part of a community of interconnected people who share faith in Christ, who are being changed by Christ, and who are joined together in the mission of Christ . . . to love God and to love people.
Are you interconnected to such a community? If not, seek until you find it.
Scripture: That Christ may make his home in your hearts through your faith; that you may be so deeply rooted and so firmly grounded in love. (Ephesians 3:17)
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Responses (2)
Regi, your post made me think of this from a slightly different perspective. Sometimes I wonder if “deep” is just a term that “church people” came up with to somehow justify that one person is more advanced in their faith than others. To me, the depth that Jesus calls us to is actually pretty shallow… love God and love others. If we could only master that shallowness and combine it with the strength of “close togetherness”… WOW!!
This is a great post. I love how you tied in Eph 3:17. God bless you Regi! Jim