Back to the Commune

The more I study the more I find out that God does a lot more communal stuff then He does personal stuff. There is a bigger aspect to our living as Jesus followers than our personal relationship with God through Christ. If I can go back to Joshua, just look at all they did together in order to achieve their inheritance:

1. They let Egypt as a group
2. They revolted as a group (with the exception of Josh and Caleb)
3. They wandered and camped together
4. They crossed the Jordan as a group (even the fighting men from the tribes that were settling west of the Jordan)
5. All the men were circumcised at the same time
6. They rested, healed, they partied together before they went out to war as one unified army

Even Jesus had a group that ate, slept and served together as they learned his ways. My point is that community, relationship, living together is important in our development as Christians. We need each other. That brings me to the second part of my vision statement: “We seek to help people with life’s journey by creating a community of faith, hope, and love in Jesus, restoring right relationship with God, fellow brothers and sisters, and the world. (Acts 2: 42 – 47).” We get to know Jesus best when we do it together. We can best show and tell about the restoration Christ has done in our lives when we come together. As a body we can serve God better. What’s that saying about a 3 strand cord not being broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12), or 2 putting 10,000 to flight (Deuteronomy 32:30)? So relationship with God as a body of believers is important.

Relationship means openness. We need to be able to talk to each other and help each other overcome our addictions, our fears, our doubts. Christians help each other dig deeper. If we cannot share our struggles with our brothers and sisters, let’s give up! We need to love, encourage, strengthen, and correct each other. And I think that goes for practical things too. Shouldn’t the mechanic in our midst help those who cannot afford car care? And the Doctor heal the poorer brothers for free? And the carpenter fix up the widow’s house as an offering to God? No one in the body of believers should be without the basic necessities. Can’t pay the heating bill? Take up a collection. Love for the family should be practical as well as spiritual.

Our love for God and each other should lead us to displaying that in the world. And because we are so centered on relationship, we can be accepting of the inquirer (without condoning the sin) and give them a safe environment to seek out God with us. We don’t have to water down the Gospel or tread softly. In relationships you are free to speak the truth in love, even when it is hard. Christians help the searching by modeling and sharing their journey and struggles. We serve God by serving the world. How about adopting an African village? We build a church, a hospital, a school? We give them the tools and teach them how to create a better life for themselves. We are the light and the salt. The world needs Jesus and if we rub should with culture enough, we will change it.

All of this is community. We serve God together. We learn of him together. We share him with others together (one plants, another waters). When will the church return to being a family like Abraham’s children or the church in Acts? Who would not want to be a part of that community?