GodReflection: Power Words
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; – Psalms 95:6
The big over arching designation of community seems cold.
We use the word in its remote sense to describe Anglo community, Hispanic community, Chinese community, the Washington community, and the community of nations.
The pictures that come to mind don’t bring with them an abundance of warm fuzzy feelings.
I get the impression that God wants community at the heart of His people. My guess is that His desire is to see millions of units of nurture across the face of the earth saturated by love that flows from allegiance to Jesus. Jesus called that body. New Testament writers called it family and church.
We humans have tried to get church on earth right for the past 2000 years. We haven’t won many Nobel Prizes for our efforts. What if we thought of church in terms of communities—joined at the hip with Jesus—and in genuine relationship with other Believers. (Sounds like a church described in Acts 2).
Here is what I think.
Unlike the fellowship of God that I join, there is a sense I have a say as to the makeup of my community of faith from which I receive—and give—love, grace, nurture, and care.
My faith community is composed of those God placed in my path over my life’s walk. Truth is over a lifetime I’ve walked and crossed paths with fellow Believers from a host of different cities, states, and nations. For reasons that I don’t comprehend fully, a core group of these people make up my community of faith.
I count upon them for encouragement, counsel, and care. We enjoy community within Church. We extend grace to each other.
Modern means of travel, and our digital age facilitate interaction. We don’t need to walk for miles or days to enjoy a meal together. Communication can be instantaneous.
My community of faith is select members of Christ’s body the church. My community stands under the great cloud of witnesses described in Hebrews 11. In the spirit of a genuine relationship of nurture and mutual care, my faith community may or may not be from among my fellow congregants with whom I worship each week.
Obviously, I worship God in the setting of my local church. However, is it too much of a stretch to consider my daily interaction with members of my community of faith to be submitted to the Holy as worship?
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection on Community as a Power Word.
God Reflection 