The Crisis of Community

Introduction

Tell me if you agree or disagree with this statement and why: “Unless the church changes its form and gets back to community and the sharing of lives personally, the church is done.” What do we mean when we use the word “community?” I would say that it has different meanings to different people. We live in a community. We are part of the community of God. We belong to the Park Avenue community. But many times community means something else. What is meant by community in the above statement is contained in the phrase “sharing of lives personally.” We live in a community, but we do not necessarily share our lives in that community. We may be part of a congregational community, but we may not share our lives personally. The Bible uses the term “fellowship” to describe this commonality; this sharing of lives personally.

The truth is some of us want a deeper sense of community. We want to feel connected with others. But that too is nebulous. Feelings of closeness are subjective. So we come back to the question “what does it mean when we use the word community?” In many ways, congregations struggle with this question. However we may define the word “community” and try to give some picture of what it is supposed to look like there are two things which stand out. First, inherent with the idea of community is relationship and second, most of the time the word community is used very subjectively so that a person’s feelings become the standard for determining whether community exists. And when a person’s feelings become the standard we are in grave danger.

My purpose tonight is to begin the process of discussing community and try to give us a framework that will allow us to build. I am going to challenge your thinking and mine as much as possible. I am going to say some things that may seem offensive to you. I will probably be confusing at times and at other times simplistic and at other times wrong. Talk with me. Don’t attack me, but talk with me. Motives need to be understood: God has called us into a community of believers. What does that mean? What does it look like? And if we are not as connected as we think we ought to be, then what are we going to do about it?

Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

There are two aspects to spiritual relationships. There is a vertical relationship and there is a horizontal relationship. The vertical relationship has to do with our connection with God. We must understand that on God’s side that does not fluctuate. When we are God’s child, we do not quit being God’s child unless we remove ourselves from his family. But there are times when we feel closer to God than at other times. But our feelings do not alter the truth that we belong to God. Yet, our feelings can often mislead us and can even create within us feelings of isolation and loneliness in connection to God. Even euphoric feelings can lead us to presume on our relationship with God and ignore him.

The horizontal relationships have to do with each other. There are two elements of horizontal relationships—those who are in the family of God and those who are not. Our focus is on those within the family of God. The connection between each other is not to be ignored. There are numerous “one another” texts in scripture. We are to love one another; confess to one another; encourage one another and so on. But like our connection with God, our connection with each other is affected by our emotions. There are times that we feel close to each other and times that we don’t. And when we don’t feel close to each other, we may assume that we aren’t connected. That may be a false assumption, but we make it anyway.

Here’s the point. Relationships are important to God. Our relationship with Him is important and our relationship with each other is important. Here’s the second point. But relationships are never one sided. God made it possible for us to be connected to him. By faith we are connected to him. If we do not feel that connection (and those feelings ebb and flow), then that has everything to do with us and not with God. We are connected to each other. We are brothers and sisters because of our connection with God. And for any relationship to work it must be two sided. Community is not something that happens to us; it is something which we actively involve ourselves in.

In other words, community is ordained of God. Community already exists. What most folks want is to feel the connection. But before we pursue the feeling let us not forget the truth—community already exists. Call it fellowship if you would like, but God has already put us into a community of believers. What we have done is isolate ourselves even as we have come together into a large room for an assembly. Our relationships are often superficial. And our tradition of how an assembly is to be conducted stifles the horizontal. For our assembly focuses more on the vertical rather than the horizontal. Building relationships is not optional. We may not feel the need to share our lives, but what about those who do. To whom do they go? Are we to regulate “loving each other” only to those who are most like us?

Learning to Love

Jesus put it this way. What is the greatest command? To love God with everything you have and to love each other as you love yourself. Vertical and horizontal. Given equal weight. Given the same intensity. Both necessary. Neither optional. For Jesus says that all the law and the words of the prophets hang on both. Authentic Christianity means that we love God and how we relate to each other matters. It takes both to obey God.

In Matthew 18, there is the story of the servant who owes his master a great deal of money. The servant is called into the throne room to give an accounting. The servant begs for mercy. He begs for patience. He pleads for time to repay. The king forgives the entire debt. Such generosity would produce love. This is what God has done for us. He has forgiven our great sin debt and so rightly we respond in great love. But the story doesn’t end there. The servant goes outside and finds a man who owes him money. He demands payment. The man begs for mercy. He pleads for time to repay. But the servant refuses and instead has the man thrown into debtor’s prison. The king hearing of this abuse recalls the servant and punishes him. Here’s the point. Jesus ends this parable reminding us all that the way we treat each other is just as important as the way we treat God. The challenge of Christianity begins with life outside the throne room.

This is the first in a series of lesson on what it means to love each other. In the process we will be challenged to look at what it means to practice community. But I would not being doing my job tonight if I did not give you something to think about.

First, we are to share our lives. Is it possible to fulfill this command of God in our assembly? Or is the sharing of lives to take place outside of the assembly?

Second, there are some who cannot be a part of this assembly. There are those who choose not to be part of either assembly on Sunday, but there are some who cannot be here primarily because of health reasons. What are we doing to help them know that they are part of the community of God? God has placed them in community, but community includes interaction. What interaction are our shut-ins getting? And what are you doing to help them feel the connection that you want? Community is two sided. We do not wait for others to love us, but we go out to them.

What would happen if occasionally instead of an assembly time, we divide into families to go visit our shut-ins. A group of families go together and assemble with a shut-in to allow them to sing, pray, and have a connection. Or folks stay here and write to our missionaries. Or write to those God has given us as part of our community. Or make phone calls. You think about it.

Community exists. We want to feel connected. How are you expressing love to others instead of waiting for others to express love to you? Let’s talk. Let’s think. Let’s discuss. Loving each other is not optional. Nor is it passive. We must be active in learning how to love.

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