Community and other elusive ghosts

Jesus did not prescribe for his people task of trying to create community.  Yet that buzz word is everywhere.

It's understandable, of course.  As culture has chosen to raise our kids to be "independent," and technology isolates each of us into a world of small screens and texting as we silently walk past each other--it only stands to reason that we need to create a fake sense of belonging to a group to overcome  the real consequences of decisions.

But what is community?  Is it just a place where everybody knows your name?  That was the the 1980's answer given by Coach and Sam Malone (on TV's "Cheers").  Is it the result of people thrown into relationship because of currently shared trials (college, raising kids, standing against taxes or running a marathon)?  This momentary struggle?  Is it a choice we make when we buy local and live simply?

I hope not.  When I look back at the end of my life I think it would be extremely dissatisfying to reflect, "At least I ran a lot of miles with my Saturday morning group," or "We stood up together and saw democracy at work--and we lowered taxes by 1% for three years." Those are fine accomplishments.  But it's not enough. And sharing the same temporary goals is not community, even if we accomplish the goal.

The church is not in the business of trying to create community.  

It is instead in the business of making disciples who have Christ in common.  We do that by faithful and powerful preaching and teaching and obeying of the Word of God together.  When we have Christ in common we put Him first together.  When we have Christ in common we struggle and work at the whole community obeying Him.  When we have Christ in common we pray to him together--young and old.  When we have Christ in common we give generously and sacrifice our own "rights" in order to prefer others.  When we have Christ in common we love with a love that the world does not know.  And we teach, and submit and confront and cover sin and love with Christ's love (and yes, we raise our kids together and go to Brewers games, and run marathons and eat local tomatoes).

When we do this "mission" together for a long time, we don't need to call it "missional," we call it a "healthy, obedient church," and it is adorned with sacrifice and good works because we are called to Jesus (and we love him!)--not because we have convinced people to join "the community's" definition of belonging.

Yes, outsiders observe the church and see changed lives, sacrifice, love and mercy--many good works which Christ has prepared for us to do.  And hopefully they are challenged and even convicted regarding the reality of Jesus because of the authentic nature of the love and good works of his followers.  But the followers must draw people to the one they are following--not simply to the group who says they follow him.

And when we do this striving and giving together for a long time we will see that we don't have to "define community," or create it.  Community will happen naturally as we share Christ in common.  As we work out disagreements.  As we mutually submit to one another.  As we give, motivated by the love of Christ.  As we preach the Gospel and share the only mission Christ gave his church--to make disciples.  

Community comes as we give up everything to follow Christ together.

So I am off the "trying to create community" merry-go-round.  I am not going to re-consider my theology every few years in light of some cultural trend.  I am not going to re-define my terms now and then so I can be relevant.  Instead, I am aiming to give up everything over a long period of time in order to embrace the reality of Jesus Christ.  I know that it will be easy sometimes, but incredibly difficult at other times.  Sometimes I will have warm and fuzzy feelings towards others in this community, and other times they will hurt me deeply, and I will hurt them. Those moments won't make me feel disillusioned (not for long), because  my identity, my aim and my comfort comes from Christ himself.

And when we look back, we will see together that community was not about feeling like we have something in common temporarily; it was about the reality of having someone in common forever.