Community

 Something you hear a whole bunch about in Christian circles is this thing called community. I wonder if we truly understand just what this  means for us a “community of believers.” I know at our Church we are really trying to make sure we have an environment of community, yet what does that look like? 

To begin we probably should understand the biblical meaning of this word community. Jerry Bridges wrote an entire book on this subject and points to 1 John 1:3 (NEB) – “What we have seen and heard we declare to you, so that you and we together may share in a common life, that life which we share with the father and his son Jesus Christ.” 

So in this verse we can see that community is sharing a common life. Bridges points out that this phrase in Greek is the word Koinonia and can mean many things like fellowship, sharing, partnership, but is much deeper than our typical view of these things. I think we tend to view community as an activity; go to community group, bring a covered dish to a fellowship lunch...you get the picture. 

Again true biblical community goes much deeper. Bible commentator William Hendriksen said “Koinonia, then is basically a community relationship.” So community is a relationship not just an activity. As believers we are called to something much deeper than Church activities so that no matter what we are going through, we have people there to surround us, to help, to comfort, to show compassion, to love us. 

Gregg Matte calls it the very important ministry of presence. It is being there in this thing we call life. What would that look like? Matte uses an illustration about a little girl that once lost her playmate who lived down the street. She told her mom that she was going to her friend’s house to comfort the grieving mother. After an hour the little girl returned. Her mom asked, “What did you say to make her feel better?” The little girl replied, “Nothing, I just crawled into her lap and cried with her.” This is just a beautiful picture of community being there especially during what Matte calls “the gut punches of life.”

Galatians 5:6b tells us: "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." So if we are in a loving relationship with Jesus then it can’t help but be expressed through being in a loving community relationship and what better place than as a Church. You know as we come alongside others as part of community they don’t remember what you said or necessarily even what you did. They remember you were there. 

Francis Schaeffer reminded us “We must never forget that the final apologetic which Jesus gives is the observable love of true Christians for true Christians.” 

Father, help us to share in a common life with you at the center. Amen! 

Grace and Peace!