Connection with Community

ICE BREAKER

What is one of your favorite ways of gathering with community? 

“In a real sense all life is inter-related. All… are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” - Martin Luther King Jr. 

REFLECTION

In his seminal book Bowling Alone, Sociologist Robert Putnam states Americans have lost their sense of community. He writes — more Americans are bowling than ever before but they’re not bowling in leagues, with friends or with families. They're bowling alone.

So many people have lost their sense of connection. Putnam draws on evidence including nearly 500,000 interviews over the last quarter century to show that we sign fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with our families less often. 

40 or 50 years ago, church was a place we experienced connection in community. But we see the church losing ground to the demands of the world. We’re busier than ever and make less time for the community within the church. For those who remember the TV program Cheers, it was built around the importance of community and the simple premise, “you went somewhere where everyone knew your name.” Even today, that’s still so vital for us. But we pretend it doesn’t matter. We can do it alone, but then we find out we’re actually miserable on our own and as lonely as ever. 

Throughout Scripture, all the way from Genesis to Revelation we see a tremendous amount of emphasis on the power and importance of community. Consider Luke's description of the early church in Acts 2:42-47:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

In a world gone mad, in a culture that often feels like it is unraveling, the one institution that can make a long term, positive impact is the church. When the church is filled with God's Spirit, the church is the answer to many of the problems of life in a fallen, broken world. The Church is the New Testament example of the power of community.

The church carries the promise of justice in a world filled with oppression. Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, and stood up for the oppressed. He calls his people — the church — to do the exact same thing.

The church carries the proclamation of redemption in a world filled with corruption. The church is the keeper and guardian of the gospel. The last thing Jesus told the disciples was "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and to the ends of the earth." They would witness with their words and actions — and the world would be changed forever because they shared the good news. 

Why? Because the gospel, the good news is about redemption — it has the power to transform and change people -- including YOU! We can rebuild our connection in community and let it transform us to be more and more like Christ every day. If we make this a priority, we stand to live longer, happier, more faithful lives. Certainly, we are better together

WRESTLING WITH THE WORD:  Hebrews 10:23 - 25

NEXT STEPS

PRAYER

Dear God: Thank You for always being faithful! You encourage us to stay steady in faith. Please help us to find authentic community that we might remember our hope is in You. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

FURTHER READING ABOUT COMMUNITY