Five years ago, our family took a trip to Florida, where we spent a day at Disney World. We rode Space Mountain, enjoyed the Disney parade, and took a bunch of pictures. Like this one, with Goofy. He’s the one on the far left. Oh, and there’s also that Disney character in the middle. He’s Goofy, too.

The truth is, we’re all a little bit Goofy, right? We all have our quirks, our oddities — you know, the stuff that makes us unique, even goofy. As the saying goes, “We’re all odd but God.” Even so, God designed for us to be odd, together; that none of us should be left out of the picture. That no matter how goofy we are, God loves us, gives us life, and calls us to share that life with each other.

On Sunday at Fern Creek, I talked about our 2nd value: Sharing Life. Simply put, it means that we need each other. That on this journey of life, we aren’t meant to go it alone. There will be times that are good; during those moments, you need others to celebrate with you and keep you grounded. There will be times that are bad; during those moments, you need others to encourage you and keep you grounded. And there will be times where life simply gets, well … goofy. During those times, you definitely need others to be there for you.

This is what the Church is: a place for those who are journeying through life, in faith, to share that journey together. Simply put, we need the Church for two very clear reasons: we need God, and we need each other. And Church is the place where both come together.

So, I hope that you are sharing life with others. I hope that you are not going through life without at least a handful of people who know you well enough to love, encourage, challenge, and simply be there for you. No matter how goofy life gets.