FAITH  COMMUNITY

March 2008 

Lately, God seems to be reminding me of community, and specifically, His faith community.  I say His, because Scriptures teaches us that God began community when He created Eve as a companion to Adam so that Adam would not be alone.  In Genesis 12, God started again by calling Abraham & his family to have faith and be God’s community, and that began a rich, fascinating story of His faith community in Israel. 

The last week of Jesus’ earthly life shows Jesus sharing the last supper with His disciples in the upper room, but that community was rocked when Jesus was arrested and they fled.  However, after Jesus’ resurrection, He met with His disciples and renewed His faith community, and after His ascension into heaven, they became the church.

 “Community” comes from the same root word as communion, as in “I believe in… the communion of saints.”  We experience this community when we share in communion together as Christ’s Body, which is another Biblical image for the faith community. 

We experience some of God’s faith community when we worship and fellowship together.  Our church seems to enjoy fellowship more than most churches I’ve been in.   We experience community when we study Scripture together.

I believe in God’s faith community because alone we are INcomplete; the rest of Christ’s Body completes us in a way that we cannot be complete alone.  None of us has all the spiritual gifts, but together, we do.  Thus, the spiritual gifts are a vital part of our community; indeed, we receive spiritual gifts to use for the common good (I Cor. 12:7). 

Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, devoted his life to leading people to Christ, and gathering them together in new faith communities that were later called churches.  Community means relating to others in the gathering of believers.  We need each other. 

Unfortunately, sometimes our words or actions undermine God’s faith community.  I have seen individuals use the church for selfishly financial or egotistic reasons.  I have seen people exclude others from God’s community, which is very hurtful.  Our gossiping about others undermines the faith community.  When we know of another’s need, but put our needs or desires first, that also harms Christ’s Body. 

Six of the 10 Commandments deal with how we relate to others.  God says, Honor your father and mother.  You shall not murder.  You shall not commit adultery.  You shall not steal.  You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.  You shall not covet… anything that belongs to your neighbor.  Let us repent of these, and turn to the Lord and His faith community.

 Let us strengthen God’s faith community with our words, actions, and prayers.

Pastor Randy