Real Community

Our culture loves to talk about community and the need for community but at the end of the day one wonders if there is any community most people can abide! When our culture talk about community it usually means an “affinity community.” What that means is a group of people who gather around a common affinity like “fantasy football,” or a tennis community or whatever the group of people have in common. Those are good communities to be in and we all have them, but if you are looking for formation and deep face-to-face “knowing,” that is not the kind of community you want.The Bible talks a lot about community and I promise you it is not an “affinity community” that it is talking about. In fact, it is the exact opposite. When God comes into your life through believing the gospel, he puts his people in local communities. The way you get into the community is strange to say the least, it is so opposite of an affinity community as to make you shake your head in disbelief if you really think about it. To get into a “gospel community” you have to confess how bad you are, and how much you need Jesus and other people to help you along the way! Furthermore, to get in, there are no conditions. Which means in a “grace community” all kinds of people join, and low and behold, God says something like this, “These are the friends I have chosen for you and they will be the people who will make me ‘real’ to you and help you become more like Jesus.”You will never grow more like Jesus unless you are part of a community of believers who you are face-to-face with and when you have carved out the social space in your busy schedule to live life together with them. You think I jest? You think I am overstating the case? Well, join me Sunday and we will talk about community as a “Habit of Grace” that God has given you to make you more like Jesus. And on top of that, what could be more delightful than being part of a people who know you to the bottom and still love you!Blessings,Jim