and no one is inferior. The community of God’ s family is not a private club, and it is not designed to be divided into cliques.
In an article for Brio magazine, Christian singer / songwriter Brandon Heath talked, among other things, about his own experience of living in community with other Christians. When seven guys moved next door to him, Brandon and his new neighbors started a community of sorts on their block by holding a Wednesday night group. They started working together to serve their neighborhood. What began as a small group attracted others and grew to the point that it became difficult to find a parking spot on Brandon’ s street.
Asked to describe what true community is, Brandon replied:“ True community is being broken in front of each other and realizing how equally we need Jesus. Hearing what Jesus is doing in each other’ s lives is so encouraging. Real community is serving together, being humble together, serving each other, and being available. I think it’ s providing for the needs of others, period.” 4
Where Community Begins: You
If you are a believer, you’ re part of God’ s family and a member of the Christian community. There’ s more to doing life together than just putting your name on the roll at your local church. Meeting regularly with other believers for worship and fellowship is part of living in community. Hebrews 10:25 urges Christians not to give up meeting together but rather to encourage one another more and more as the day of Jesus’ return approaches.
Living in community also means working to build relationships with other Christians outside of regular meeting times. Connecting with others this way doesn’ t just happen by itself. You can’ t always wait for others to approach you to initiate relationships. The person who lives out his or her faith in community is one who reaches out to others. That could mean asking someone new at church to hang out with you or it could mean sharing what’ s hurting you with your Sunday School class instead of trying to carry that burden alone.
Living in community means you recognize that you belong to a body that includes all believers— those of different cultures, races, denominations, and so forth. Your community reaches across the globe to believers in Africa and India and China;
Living in community means you recognize that you belong to a body that includes all believers.
so should your concern. It means you understand your connection to believers of all ages in your own church and live in relationship to them, treating all with respect and compassion. That might mean you take time to stop and speak to an elderly gentleman sitting alone at church or volunteer to help care for the kids in the nursery. Living in community means you keep your circle of friends open, rejecting cliques and inviting in newcomers.
It’ s been said that this life is just a dress rehearsal for the main event, which is spending eternity with God in heaven. Our time here on earth is miniscule compared to the never-ending existence we will enjoy after this life.
But consider this: heaven will not be a lonely, isolated place. The Bible describes it as a home where throngs of believers from the whole world throughout human history will live together united by our love for and worship of God. It only makes sense then, if we are going to spend all of eternity together with other Christians, that we learn to live in community with them here on earth. Once we learn to give and receive encouragement, work together for a common purpose, and share our joys and sorrows by living in community, we may feel that we’ ve found a little bit of heaven... right here on earth. ec
Sources:
1.“ Saint Simeon Stylites,” Encyclopedia Britannica [ online ], cited 6 February 2009. Available from the Internet: http:// www. britannica. com / EBchecked / topic / 545077 / Saint-Simeon-Stylites.
2. John Donne,“ XVII. Meditation,” The Literature Network [ online ], cited 6 February 2009. Available from the Internet: http:// www. online-literature. com / donne / 409 /.
3. Judy Keen,“ Thriving communes no haven for‘ deadbeats,’” USA Today [ online ], 29 August 2007 [ cited 6 February 2009 ]. Available from the Internet: http:// www. usatoday. com / news / nation / 2007-08-28- communes _ N. htm.
4. Gina Rossing,“ From Songwriter to Singer,” Brio Magazine [ online ], 2006 [ cited 6 February 2009 ]. Available from the Internet: http:// www. briomag. com / briomagazine / entertainment / a0007123. html.
• Find a community group at church. It may be your Sunday School class or a small group sponsored by the church. It may be people who speak God’ s truth into your life. Share life together and make an effort.
• Community isn’ t just a church thing. God has left us in the world for a reason, and often, the best way for people to come to faith in Christ is through relationships with those of us who profess Him as Lord and Savior and actually live out our faith. Your whole life, not just one little part of it, should be about serving God and bringing glory to Him.
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