The hard work of being in community is probably the least favorite part of the Church experience for most. An authentic community is sadly, by far the most rare thing we see in a church.
This is Part 2 of the Austin Christinan's "Transformation Series."
This is Part 2 of the Austin Christinan's "Transformation Series."
Truth is, most of us want to be in community, but are unwilling to pay the price. It requires for us to invest way too much time and emotional labour.
God’s call towards community is both simple and challenging. “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other” Rom 12: 5
Part of the problem, is that we have been conditioned to think along the lines of R-Kelly’s “I believe I can fly.”
“If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it”
One of the greatest songs ever written for sure, but not exactly community focused or accurate. Also it’s all about the “I," not the “we.”
I would like to think “If I can see it, then I can do it”, but it’s simply not true. Also, I am not the center of the universe, God is. And God wants for me to “belong” to others in community.
Look at at the science of how humans were created to relate to each other. Only in the last decade scientist have found something called “mirror neurons”, they are specialized brain cells that can actually sense and mimic the actions, feelings and physical sensations of others. Literally the same neurons will light up in our brain as if we ourselves have been through the physical experience that we are observing in others.
Our emotions are objectively contagious. As we go about our day our brains are constantly processing the feelings of people around us. Taking note of the infliction of the voice, the posture, the look in someone’e eyes. Our amygdala can identify the emotion in another person within 33 milliseconds and immediately prime us to feel the same. ( For more on this read “The Happiness Advantage“)
So, if we long for newness and transformation, if we want the ability to change our way of thinking - true community is the perfect environment for that. It primes us to be our best selves, to avoid our worst selves and most importantly, to help each other imitate the One who created us in the first place.
All kinds of people visit our community in Austin Christian. Some know nothing about church and need to learn the fundamentals. Others have experienced church before, and want to get reconnected. The third kind, have been in church but never experienced true community. They know what the Bible says about it, but have the hardest time believing it’s actually possible.
So last week, we broke down a few of the verses in Romans 12 to describe what a transformative environment looks like. Here are some of the qualities of a Biblical community.
1. Authenticity.
Rom 12: 9a Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.
You won’t know how selfish, fake, self seeking and unloving you really are until you dare to live in true faith community. Also, you will never know how generous, compassionate and life changing you can be, until you attempt to love authentically. Authenticity is the diamond everyone admires and very few like to be chiseled into.
2. Taking a stand for truth.
v9b Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Lovingly, truthfully, patiently, graciously, gently – yes, all of that. But we are called to take a stand for what is good and to take a stand against what is wrong. We are to challenge, train, confront, exhort, pray for, and fight for each other. A community, where there is no conflict at all – is not a real community.
3. Relational Delight.
v10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Each one of us hears the voice of “the accuser” all day, every day. The voice, that tells us we are not enough, not worthy, not loved, not…( fill in the blanks). Church community is here to drown out that voice with dozens of loving voices pointing out our worth, value and honor.
4. Wholeheartedness
v11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Every motivation is finite. It all wares off. A desire for a toned body, a bigger paycheck, a great business, a moving song, all of it fades eventually. The only way to have a wholehearted life, is to let God into all areas of the human experience. A spirit filled life will never be dull, lazy or boring.
5. Holy Confidence
v12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
No one ever said it will be easy. Think about it. We worship a homeless guy who was tortured and killed as a criminal.
We are not immune to human suffering. What sets a faith community apart is how we suffer. Hardship can either take us deeper into depression or deeper into community.
6. Generosity
v13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Faith community is the ultimate networking hub. The world networks to get something. We network to give everything.
7. Compassion for the uncompassionate
v14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.
The “turn the other cheek” thing is not about God watching us lose, it’s about us winning those who are watching.
8. Empathy
v15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.
As a young believer, I remember being blown away by people’s sincere interest in my life, my pain and my future. The emotional labour of someone walking with you, praying for you, weeping with you, is in itself transformative.
It’s our job in community to make Empathy the culture of the Church.
9. Humility
v16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Getting along with people requires humility. Overcoming cultural stereotypes requires humility. Learning to really listen to others requires humility.
An unwillingness to be humble is an unwillingness to be in community.
10. Letting God do His thing.
v17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,”I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD
People do evil things. Many years ago, a guy tried to rape my sister in an elevator. She resisted so he brutally beat her. I looked for him everywhere, he is lucky I didn’t find him. I wanted revenge so bad, I could taste it.
We crave revenge and hold on to hurt. We also want to control the time and measure of the punishment.
Community teaches us about forgiveness more than any other environment.
This is, of course, a list that is far from complete. True community and interdependence are both appealing to us and probably the hardest thing to be fully obedient to, in the Bible.
US President Theodore Roosevelt once gave a speech at Sorbonne University in 1910. In this speech he talks about being a doer of hard things, I think it fully applies to daring to be in true community.
“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”The relational arena will kick your butt. It will be miserable and hard. It will also be glorious and transcendent.
If you are religious, think you know church and have not done life in faith community for years – your opinion and knowledge do not count. Stop talking about it. Get in the arena of true community.
If you have no church background, have preconceived ideas about organized religion and think that church is a thing of the past – your opinions and ideas do not count. Stop debating it and dare to get in the arena of faith community.
If you have been around for a long time, have failed, been hurt, have retreated from the arena and stopped daring greatly – your opinion counts greatly, your wounds are real, but you need to dare again. Get back in the arena.
It’s the only environment where God transforms lives. It’s his plan, his idea and his church.
So what has your experience with community been like? Are you looking at it from outside of the arena? Are you willing to get in the arena and give it a shot?
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Shared from Austin Christian