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7 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. 9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bending over him took him in his arms and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. 12 Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.

 

It is sometimes easy to let the ‘big’ moments in scripture obscure what is happening around it. Here we have this young man nodding off and falling to his death. Paul rushes down and brings him back to life, a powerful miracle on display. But surrounding this moment, we see Paul and the church members of Troas spending time in deep conversation.

 

When I read this, I was reminded of my time at Leadership Lab. Each summer I spend a week amongst adults and youth of the church where we seek to equip young people for serving God and their communities. It is a busy week where leaders often go from 8am to 11pm each day. But somehow, we will find ourselves staying up in the wee hours of the morning talking. Sometimes it is funny stories or catching up with friends we only see one week a year. But there are also theological conversations and explorations of ministry. There are conversations about the joys and heartaches of life.

 

We are called into life together through Christ. But that is not limited to worship or ministry. We are called to share in conversation and the breaking of bread so that our connections grow deeper and stronger. Life together is the point of the church.

 

Everlasting God, thank you for the gift of life together in your Son. Grant us time together to serve, but also time for us to build our connections with our brothers and sister. Amen.

 

Chad Ryberg Cryberg@livinglord.org

 

Prayer concern: Clean waters and open spaces.