The Importance of Building a Christian Community

Community is a necessary part of life.  We, as humans, need to be around other people.  They provide for us friendships, encouragement, advice, and love.  Without our connection to others, we would be lost beings trying to fend for ourselves.  This need for community not only applies to the world in general, but more importantly to the church.

Church is the typical description of a community.  The church is a community come together in worship and love for God and others.  Love for God and neighbor is foundational in the ministry of Jesus Christ (Matt. 22: 35-41).  Worship is foundational to the church as the community looks toward God for guidance.  This worship is then reflected in the community as they go out and love others.  We hear this a lot in church (or I hope we do!).  Yet, many people are left wonder what in the world does this actually mean? 

The hardest part of the church has been to describe the things of Christianity to a post-Christian society.  Our world is filled with the things of culture: money, beauty, drama, as well as many other things.  The church has to learn how to speak to this society.  One problem that I see, and I know I contribute too, is using terms that people do not understand.  For example, what does it actually mean to love others?  Does this merely meaning giving money to the poor?  What does worship mean?  Does it mean music, preaching, or something else?

The main two topics that I wish to describe as being a Christian community are worship and loving our neighbor.  These are two important aspects of the church that we learn through the New Testament Scriptures.  This can be clearly seen throughout the ministry of Jesus as he both teaches his disciples, and how Jesus himself showed love for others (John 3:16).  Another example we see of the community in worship and love of neighbor is the church in the beginning of Acts.

In Acts chapter 2, we see a tremendous amount of things going on.  First, in chapter one, we have Jesus leaving and a new disciple added.  After this, the Holy Spirit comes down on the place that they were (vv. 1-4).  The apostle Peter then gets up and gives a sermon to the people with a great amount of teaching of what it means to be a Christian.  What is the key verse about living as a community is verse 42 where it says, "They (the disciples and those who heard his sermon) devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." 

This is a brief story of the beginning of the community of the church.  The themes of worship and loving our neighbor I believe to be essential to the community of the church.  In the next few blogs I would like to be able and share my thoughts on the community of the church. 

Please feel free to share your thoughts or any reflections you have! :)