Church and Community

Churches of today certainly come in all sizes, from the very small home church to the mega church with thousands of members. The church that we now attend has about 250 members, not small, but large enough to not know everyone. The church we were part of for 17 years was larger, but we had many friends that we developed over the years, through choir, home fellowships and the like. In all of that, we had a few friends who were our dearest, our truest, our closest. So, even after we moved, our former church really felt like home - and continued to feel that way for several years, until our closest friends also left for various reasons. Now, there is no "draw" for us there, even though the preaching and music hasn't really changed much, our hearts don't connect like they did before.

Meanwhile, at our current church, we have made some friends, through being involved in music, the tech team, and Bible studies. But we don't feel that connection that we had before. Folks are nice, and we feel loved, but not really known. I guess that's what community is. Being loved and being known.

Community is when friends become family. It is the true church. It involves risking yourself, by being open and honest about the good, bad and the ugly. It means loving someone when they are wonderful and all is well, and loving them when they are in a tragic place. It means being willing to share, and being willing to listen. To encourage and lift up, and to hold accountable. To have fun together, and to cry together. To pray for and with each other. To be available to others, not to be Jesus for them, but to point them to Jesus. To eat together, and drink coffee together, to talk about all the meaningful and meaningless aspects of our daily lives, and to be there for each other, regardless of the circumstances.

I have a community like that. It's really stretched out right now, by miles and house sales, but it is there. I am blessed to have people in my life who love me inspite of who I am in me, and because of who I am in Christ. And I am blessed to be able to love them in return.

My dream is that this community will come together logistically closer, and closer in spirit and heart. The early church is our example, meeting together daily, for worship, prayer, songs and hymns and spiritual songs, fellowship and food. And when they did so, they grew, and they changed the world. I want to change the world that I am a part of, and I know that I can't do it on my own. But with the Lord, and my community, no telling what can happen.

So, right now, I will continue to be an active part of my stretched out community. Praying fervently, bringing encouragement, feeding my friends both spiritually and physically! Being family...being the church.