Christians believe God is a relational God, that He is One God who manifests Himself in three unique personalities -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This mystery, referred to as trinity or tri-unity, has at its very core the sense of community. This being said it is no surprise that when God incarnated Himself into the human situation, He did so in a self-revealing Messiah who continually calls people into community -- community with God and with each other.

So it was Jesus said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23). Did you catch it? "We will come to him and make our home with him." And exactly how does God do this? Jesus says He and the Father do it through "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name" (John 14:25).

Jesus says the Holy Spirit is a "Counselor" who continually leads God's people into a community of truth where Jesus is at the center of everything. This is the Father's will and it is that for which Jesus Himself died.

The Church is a community of the Counselor who continually woos the community into everything Jesus. The Good news in this is that wherever Jesus is allowed, through faith, to be Himself the peace of a sovereign God is in that place and in that people.

Prayer: O God. Show us how to be the Counselor-enabled community of Jesus that allows You to make us into all you would have us be, extending the fellowship of Your community into our world. In Jesus Name we pray; Amen."