Community

Community is good. I had a chance to attend a chamber of commerce banquet recently and really enjoyed the time, the networking, and the speaker. It was great seeing many people I knew as well as meeting several community leaders for the first time. The banquet was the annual time to recognize outstanding businesses, individuals who have excelled this past year and volunteers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. The community recognized them all for their great work in building community. They had all given themselves to their work and community.

The definition of community is a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage. Look at how the early church began in Acts 2, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” Sounds like the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce. They met together, ate together, sold and purchased to support each other and just enjoyed being together…networking.

What a great example and reminder of how important community is for nurturing relationships. How important it is for us to be in the community of friends and believers. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “Christian community means community through and in Jesus Christ.” There is something to say about community. We need it, it is healthy for us, it brings conversations, closeness, connection, and most importantly it unites us as followers of Jesus. I believe it is difficult to grow in your faith without community. We need each other.

Hebrews 10:24-25, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”

The church is a place to connect, be encouraged, and to be together in community. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Psalm 133:1