If it’s a nice sunny day, and you’re walking down the sidewalk, you’ll most likely notice someone following close by that you can’t shake. Yup, it’s your shadow. If I’m on a walk with my two year old daughter, she will immediately point out those strange silhouettes of our own image and say, “Daddy’s shadow; my shadow.”

It would be odd if I started talking to my daughter’s shadow and not to my daughter. I would probably get weird looks from the people across the street. But what is a shadow? It’s a dark figure cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the rays from a source of light.

A Community Group is not the source of light. It only intercepts the rays of heaven. We must remember this. A Community Group is not the point, God is. And so when you are gathered together in a home and a struggle or confession of sin is met with God’s grace, a shadow is casted. When laughter or tears are shared because of the unity you have in Christ, a shadow is casted. When needs are met within your group, a shadow is casted.

My prayer is that by the end of Fall, you would be able to look around and say to one another: “your shadow, my shadow.” This will be the result of heaven’s light being intercepted by God’s people, casting shadows of God’s love and grace. So let yourself – and your group – soak in the true source of light this Fall.