The Full Experience of God
We can experience a relationship with God on our own. In fact, it is often such an experience that prompts us to seek out a religious community.

I believe, however, that the full experience of God is gained socially. Since I believe the essence of God is love, it's tough to love by yourself.

The sort of love that comes from God grows as it is shared, making the experience fuller with every additional person we share it.

by Anne Robertson
from "Is it necessary to be a part of a religious community in order to fully experience a relationship with God?"

Belief in Heaven Remains Strong
The loss of twelve miners in West Virginia last week reminded us not only of the fleetingness of life, but also of the persistence of hope.

... for three hours the family and friends of thirteen trapped miners believed that their loved ones had survived, only to learn later that they were dead and the earlier information had been wrong. ...

CNN reported that family members ?were cursing God.? ...

by Jon Sweeney

God can clothe even the most shattered of hearts with joy.

We may be in the midst of brokenness. We may feel abandoned, isolated, or unwelcome. ...

When we are in times like these, joy can seem like an unattainable possibility. ...

But, the eye of heaven is never turned away from our broken spirits. God sees and weeps.

God reaches out and grasps our sliced heart and, with the gentlest touch, takes the threadbare fibers and slowly weaves them back together. ...

Then one morning we wake and notice that joy is resting lightly on a heart where before only brokenness had been.

The silent unseen compassionate One has snatched us out of the land of the dead and given us new life.

O God, when the fibers of my heart are torn and tattered,
rescue me from despair by the dew of your joy.

by Renee Miller
from Signposts Daily Devotions-January 10, 2006