Every so often, I find myself returning to a simple question:

What is the goal of the Christian life?

The question seems straightforward until we begin answering it. We might say it is to make disciples, to love our neighbors, to proclaim the gospel, to serve the world, or to build God’s kingdom. Each answer carries truth.

Yet I wonder whether the Christian tradition has consistently pointed us toward something even deeper.

Across the centuries, many of the Church’s most trusted voices have described the Christian life not primarily in terms of activity but of communion. Jesus prayed that his followers “may all be one… as you, Father, are in me and I am in you” (John 17:21). The Apostle Peter spoke of becoming “participants of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Athanasius famously wrote, “He became human that we might become divine”—not that we become God by nature, but that our lives are transformed through sharing in God’s life.

I find myself wondering whether we sometimes settle for the fruit while neglecting the root.

As pastors and church leaders, we naturally give ourselves to preaching, administration, meetings, mission, and caring for others. These are holy callings. Yet they also have a way of filling every available space. It is possible to spend our lives working for Christ while slowly forgetting to dwell with Christ.

Perhaps that is why the invitation to “abide” appears so often in the Scriptures. Before Jesus sent the disciples into the world, he first invited them to remain in him. Before the Church accomplished its mission, it learned to wait in prayer.

What might our ministries look like if our first concern were not simply what we accomplish for God, but whether we are growing in loving communion with God?

Would our leadership become less anxious?

Would our decisions become more patient?

Would our churches reflect Christ not only through what we do, but through who we are becoming?

These are not questions to answer quickly. They are questions to live with.

As we continue serving together across the Fairway District, my hope is not only that our ministries bear fruit, but that beneath all our faithful work, our roots continue to grow deeper into the life and love of God.