April 16, 2026

Dear Central Church,

When does a gathering of people become something special?
I was reading this week about “group dynamics” and how large gatherings of people have the power to affect change. When humans gather with shared purpose—when there’s consensus around a cause or an agenda—large numbers of people can be motivated to act.

We see this in all kinds of settings. Most recently, I saw it at a baseball game, where an entire crowd was moved to “boo” an umpire’s call. It made me think how strange it would be if those same individuals acted that way on their own at work. “Booing” might be unacceptable in a boardroom, but somehow it becomes perfectly normal when you’re surrounded by others doing the same thing.

At times, crowds can have a profoundly positive impact. Movements have been born when people gather to protest injustice, and real change has followed. The marginalized have been lifted up because people came together in the same place for the same purpose.

But the opposite can happen as well. “Mob mentality” and “groupthink” can lead otherwise reasonable humans to say and do unreasonable things to other humans.

Every Sunday, we gather as the people of God—and there is something distinct about this holy convocation. It is special. Unlike a political rally fueled by shared fears or a crowd united by outrage, the Church is filled with the Holy Spirit of God and sustained by holy love. This is a different kind of gathering altogether. I sensed that reality this past Sunday as we came together to pray at the altars. 

We come from different places. We see the world differently. We have different skin tones, cheer for different teams, and work in a wide range of vocations with very different incomes. And yet, as I looked around at those gathered in prayer, I found myself thinking, “There isn’t another organization or cause that could assemble this group of people.” To borrow a phrase from a theologian, we are “a fellowship of differents.”

In that sense, our unity is nothing short of miraculous. There are plenty of voices in our world that intentionally seek to divide. They do not want unity but only enough passive agreement to win. The Church of Jesus Christ isn’t worried about winning, because Jesus has already won.

If you’re weary of living in a divided world, or if you feel like you don’t quite fit anywhere, I know a place where you belong. Come worship the risen Jesus with us. What unites us is infinitely greater than anything that could divide us.

Now that’s a special group of people.
 

With Resurrection Hope,
Pastor Mark