This is a copy of my latest post on the Communitas Collective blog.
When I signed up for broadband TV I thought I chose the cheapest package. Recently, I threatened to cancel because of price increases and that produced an interesting disclosure from the company. I could save $20 a month if I cut back to broadband network channels only.
I wish I’d known that in the first place since I wasn’t even watching the other channels in my package. (If you had my package you probably wouldn’t either)
Connecting and being part of a community are in my dreams. Church provides opportunities for those. It used to be the ‘right package’ because everything in it was important to me.
Now I’m looking for ‘connection and community only’ packages. I don’t have a dream church (our current theme) because all churches include things that wouldn’t be in my dream package.
Hi Helen. There is nothing quite like calling the cable company looking for a “dream package”. The comparison to a dream church is interesting. As I understand it, churches exist primarily to spread the news about Jesus Christ (evangelism) and to educate believers about Jesus Christ (discipleship). Even worthwhile charitable activities take a back seat to these two missions, since charity addresses a temporary condition while evangelism and discipleship address eternity. It is true that aspects of “connection and community” exist in the church, but only in an incidental, imperfect way.
Jim – hmmm – what struck me about your response is that I have the complete opposite viewpoint. I have come to believe that real mission of the church is to love God and love others.
It has been my experience that Religions exist to evangelize, support hierarchy, and educate believers about what they want them to believe about Jesus Christ…
Love God and Love Your neighbor never takes a back seat for me. If I am doing those two things well, then the rest follows.
And …in the end, it is the reality of personal relationship that saves everything…Thomas Merton
So, while I might not compare connection and community with the cable company – I agree with Helen’s point. I become more myself, more loving, more generous when I am in healthy community where I am accepted for who I am.
[Please don’t confuse “accepted for who I am” as an excuse to continue in my “sinful ways”. But, instead, being accepted for the broken person I am, frees me to embrace and forgive myself and see the better parts of myself – and nurture those. Then the weaker pieces become irrelevant.]
It’s what works for me…
Hi Elaine. I don’t think we really have opposite viewpoints. I have little patience for some of the nonsense I observe in church.
To love God and to love your neighbor is what Jesus commanded. If you truly love God you will want to obey Him, and if you truly love your neighbor you will want to tell him about the good news delivered by Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 28:19 Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Make disciples and teach them.
This does not mean blindly following church doctrine. All doctrine and practice should be evaluated in light of the truth presented in the Bible.
Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be obtained by diligent, regular, daily, attentive, wakeful reading…John Charles Ryle
Thanks for your comments, Jim.
I’m not sure I’d say connection and community are ‘incidental’ in the church – I think, according to the Bible, they are supposed to be an important part of what happens there.
Hi Helen. Yes, incidental was probably a poor choice of words. What I meant to convey is that the church is not primarily a social club. We should, however, support each other in every way possible while fervently following Christ.
Thanks for your comment, Elaine.
Being accepted for who we are – the grace that sets us free to grow – is a wonderful thing.
Grace is indeed a wonderful thing. A gift that cannot be received from merely human hands. A gift from God delivered by Jesus Christ. A gift only available through personal belief in, and submission to, the Christ. A gift that makes it possible for God to accept us as His own.