The Creation story in Genesis may be familiar to many of us. God created in 6 days and rested. Maybe you can even name the various stages of creation – what was created  each day.  But the big picture is that GOD created, and He started with a blank canvas. In today’s verse, though, I want to focus on three simple words that can change our understanding and bring even more clarity to God’s heart for us to be in relationship and community with others. Those words are us, our, and us – all in the first sentence of this verse. Take a moment to reread it.

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You see, God is referring to Himself with the pronouns our and us. This is a lot of deep theology and incredible mystery for a Monday (or any day, for that matter)! God is three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are one GOD – but can operate separately – the mystery! For example, at Jesus' baptism, the Son is baptized, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father speaks from Heaven (Matt. 3:16-17). Jesus later commands his disciples to go and make more disciples and to baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).  God existed before creation – He has no beginning and no end. Another mind-blowing Monday concept! Here’s where I want to land for the rest of today – if God is three persons and existed before creation, then He demonstrates our need for community from the very beginning.

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Let that sit for moment: Community pre-existed creation.

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We often think of the fact that Adam was alone and then Eve was created as a helper and companion as the first example of community in the Bible, but that’s not accurate. God as three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – already was. Genesis is clear that the entirety of God – all three together – were involved in creation, and that humans were made in the image of the complete Godhead – three in one. We were made in the image of a God who is communal at His core. He made us to desire community and to benefit from it, too.

One of ACF’s core values is that we are better together. This isn’t just a pithy saying or great t-shirt motto; it’s Biblical. God reveals this by His own design and by creating us in His image – an image of interwoven community. So, if God by His own design is communal and designed us in His image, shouldn’t we be pursuing community? Sometimes we don’t know what we need until we find it and have this “aha” moment. Community may feel like that. Society tells us we are self-sufficient. We can do it on our own. We are self- reliant and self-made. Self. Self. Self. Yet God made us – as He says, “in our image” - the image of God as three persons. He is more than just self. He knows we need more than just ourselves. Of course we need Him, but we also need others around us. That is how He created us.

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So, at ACF, we say that we are better together, and we take it another step further to make that practical. We want everyone to be connected to a serve team or small group – or both! When you serve together, you build community as you serve shoulder to shoulder. Through times in serve team huddles, praying for one another and serving together, you grow to know each other and to be known. This is a great step into community. We also have groups for men, women, families, and many other demographics. As we approach summer in Alaska, we are looking forward to being outdoors and enjoying this amazing place we call home. Enjoy that time with a group of people who can help you also grow closer to Jesus as you’re hiking or biking, kayaking or fishing, whatever it is you love to do. If there’s not a group yet for your thing, step up to lead one. Community is where we grow as we are known and valued and then challenged to take our next steps in becoming more like Jesus.

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As you ponder the fact that God is and was community before we ever came into existence, think about how great it would be to work out that idea as you hike with a group or sit on a deck or gather around a fire. Life is better together – follow God’s example and find your community. If you need help getting started, click here to connect with the CONNECT Team who will help you find your GROUP.