Without a doubt, there are millions of different ways to live in "Christian community". Some are good and lead to an increase in faithfulness and spiritual maturity. Others are not so good and only reinforce habits of the heart that keep us far from God. And still others are downright destructive - see Jonestown or the Branch Davidians as examples. Imagine for a moment that you have never heard the Gospel or experienced authentic Christian community. How would one begin to sort through the myriad of options out there to find a spiritual home? And, on the flip side, how can those of us who are engaged in Christian community already continue the hard work of transformation so that we can become a spiritual home for those seeking to follow Jesus? Here are some key Scriptural passages that certainly should guide our thoughts and actions...(all passages from Eugene Peterson's, The Message)
Acts 2:42-47:
They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added to those who were saved.
Acts 4:32-37:
The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.
1 Corinthians 14:26-33:
So here’s what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three’s the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you’re saying. Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself. And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. Take your turn, no one person taking over. Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other. If you choose to speak, you’re also responsible for how and when you speak. When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony.
Galatians 3:28-29:
In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.
James 5:13-20:
Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out. Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.
I am sure that these just touch the surface as there are many more we could cite. But I think this gives us a good picture of how the early church sought to order their life together in authentic Christian community. Did they do it perfectly? Nope. All one has to do is read through Paul's letters to see the struggles they had. Thankfully, though, they never gave up and we now stand as inheritors of what they persevered to create under the guidance and with the power of the Holy Spirit. And in a world of rapid change and massive cultural shifts, the question is pressed...what kind of community are we leaving behind? Do we offer a spiritual home for the weary traveler? Or merely a set of religious goods to offer the consumer?
This is a huge issue! I think most people view the church as something in between a family and a spiritual services agency. I think the recent success of the mega-church pushed people more towards the consumer attitude. How we regain the sense of church as community and family is critical.
Posted by: Andy | May 26, 2009 at 11:39 AM