Community sounds beautiful in theory. In practice it's messy, complicated, and sometimes it straight up hurts.

Most of us have been wounded by the very people we were supposed to do life with. And when that happens our instinct is to protect what we have — to pull back, build walls, and find a safer version of belonging.

But on the night he was betrayed, Jesus prayed. And what he prayed for — with full knowledge of every wound that was coming — was unity. For his people. For you.

This Sunday we are opening John 17 and asking a question that might challenge everything you thought you knew about why community matters and what it's actually for.