Inward: Community
by David Matranga
My question for you today is this: Where is your home?
No matter what part of town I’m in, if I pick up my phone and say “Siri, take me home,” it will guide me back to my house. It’s able to do that because I’ve programmed an address into it and called it “home.” Well, spiritually we have a home as well, and it’s wherever we’ve determined it is in our hearts. It’s where we invest ourselves, where we return again and again.
For me, the church is my home, and specifically the Common Ground ministry. It’s where I am able to meet with the Lord, to get advice and comfort, and get the support to carry on.
Growing up, my home wasn’t like this. God put me, like so many of you, here in a new home.
Roadblocks
We all long for real and good community from the time we’re just kids, but unfortunately we don’t always have the best experiences. We can be tainted and cynical from these experiences and see all church groups as:
- Abusive or Legalistic (Pharisees)
- Toxic and Narcissistic (We see examples of this in Kings and Judges)
- Controlling and Dishonest (King David, for part of his life)
This is not the community we see in the New Testament. What God has designed for us to live out is much, much better, but if we’re not careful to filter out the counterfeits, we can miss out. For example, the YMCA is not a Christian community, but it’s often how we define a Christian group:
- It has a Christian name
- You go once or twice a week, even consistently
- You pay your dues
- You wear the right clothes
- It helps you live a healthier life
- Events are well produced
The YMCA is a fine gym, but it’s a terrible church. So we need to make sure that our church/home group experience isn’t just another program. We need to emulate what God has shown us in His word.
Real Community
The early church leaders wrote about this subject a lot because they had to put it into place! Here are some of the bits of instruction we get, that the early church was built on:
Bear one another’s burdens. – Galatians 6:2
Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. – James 5:16
Encourage one another and build up one another. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. – Ephesians 4:25
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. – Romans 12:10
Do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. – Romans 12:16
Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. – Colossians 3:13
The Point
As I read the above scriptures, a few things come to mind. The first is that I need to think of myself a lot less. The second is that I need to make the decision to forgive those who have hurt or failed me. Otherwise, bitterness and old wounds will prevent you from fully engaging in community. The third is that I need to bear some of my neighbor’s burdens. Together we can carry a lot more than you’d think.
This means we ought to invest time in our church community, willing to be vulnerable – because our weaknesses are someone else’s strengths. We need to be committed, willing to receive and give accountability. We need to give tithes and offerings to the Lord. We need to lay down our pride.
The Result
This isn’t theoretical or feel-good fluff. In Common Ground, I can think plenty of examples of how this kind of community has changed lives. I think of a young man who we showed love, led him to Jesus, gave him direction, and even helped him find his wife. Now he’s an influential leader.
I think of a young woman who had never known anyone who acknowledged her true value – and then she found Common Ground, and with it new confidence, acceptance, and love.
As for me personally, I found Jesus here, found mentors, rewarding ministry work, and faithful friends. I’ve been pushed, stretched, and corrected as I’ve grown. I found my wife and my career here.
God knows what He’s doing. We ought to search the scriptures and live them out in our community. Together, we can accomplish a great deal in the Lord.
(This blog post is part 2 of a series. To read part 1, click HERE. To read part 3, click HERE)
