Christianity Is More We Than Me | Lisa Harper | Gateway Church
Christianity Is More We Than Me | Lisa Harper | Gateway Church
The Power of Connection and Community
I’m so excited to be here with all of you! I’ve missed you over the past few months. You truly give the best hugs—Gateway has the most amazing huggers! For those of you I haven’t had the joy of meeting yet, my name is Lisa, and I’m honored to be part of this wonderful community.
Merry Christmas, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy New Year—and honestly, it even feels like the Fourth of July today! I made the bold choice to wear leather pants, so I’ll definitely be sweating tonight—my apologies in advance.
I flew into DFW this afternoon, and I didn’t ask her permission to do this, but I’d love to give a shoutout to Grace from American Airlines. Grace, where are you? Will you stand up?
Missy and I were walking through the airport when I suddenly heard a sweet voice call out, “Miss Lisa!” I turned around, expecting someone to be selling candy, but instead, I saw Grace—a young woman who looks about 12 but is actually a high-ranking professional at American Airlines. If you ever need extra miles, she’s the one to see!
Grace greeted me with such warmth, saying, “I’m so excited you’re here! I’ll see you at church this afternoon.” That moment reminded me of something powerful—a quote from one of my favorite theologians, Henri Nouwen. He once said:
Grace had no idea how much her greeting lifted my spirit in that vast, impersonal airport. But that’s exactly what we’re focusing on over the next few weeks—authentic connection and community.
The Importance of Being Present
How many of you wear an Apple Watch? I have to admit, I have a little grievance with them! Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not anti-Apple (I really wish I had bought stock 20 years ago). But I’ve noticed something: our culture is losing the ability to make real eye contact because we’re constantly looking at our screens.
So before we dive into God’s Word, let’s do a quick exercise. You don’t have to hug anyone if that’s not your thing (although, in my opinion, that just means you’re not a believer—but that’s just me!). Instead, take the next 45 seconds to find someone you haven’t met yet. Learn their name, and then, as genuinely as possible, do what Grace did for me—look them in the eye and say, “It’s so good to see you.”
Go ahead—be the body of Christ.
[Pause for interaction]
Created for Community
That interaction might have seemed simple—even personality-driven—but I believe it’s one of the holiest things we do all week. Why? Because we are called to community. This calling isn’t based on personality or Enneagram type—it’s rooted in our Heavenly Father.
If you brought your Bible, turn with me to Genesis 1. Many of us know that Paul speaks extensively about community in the New Testament. But what some don’t realize is that community is a central theme throughout the entire Bible—starting from the very beginning.
Genesis 1:26-27 says…
[Continue into the teaching]
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