Christian Community is Meaningful Work

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Observation: Big statement there!

Application: Over the years I’ve noticed that being part of a faith community is hard work; it’s really not for the faint of heart. In authentic Christian community we are forced to see and make peace with each other’s faults, even as we aspire ourselves and try to inspire others to do better. Inauthentic Christian community pretends that there are no faults. The authentic Christian community knows better but will not dwell on such things.

Why? Largely because of what Paul says in the verse above. He’s not saying that everything is all hunky-dorey. But he is saying that what Christ has done is of ultimate significance. In him we have value beyond measure. But then again, so does everyone else who is in Christ Jesus. We are not in this alone! We are in community.

It’s hard to keep such things in mind in this part of the world because our culture prizes individuality and a consumer mindset. If we don’t like something personally, we can just remove it from consideration and do a quick internet search for another option. If we don’t like what a ‘friend’ posted on our Facebook wall, we can just ‘unfriend’ them. If they are people in our normal circle of physical acquaintances, we can change our patterns and endeavor to avoid them. It is the direct opposite of authentic Christian community because it allows us to just write people off.

These are not the ways of God, however. Jesus could have written us off but did not. The whole New Testament is filled with written words meant to remind us of how precious we are in his sight…and how precious we are meant to be in each other’s sight. When we remember such things we are one step closer to modeling what authentic Christian community is all about.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the church. It’s not always perfect. In fact, it’s never perfect. But it is still the context where we are reminded that our only hope is always in you and that we can find joy in sharing that hope with one another. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today included: Proverbs 4-6, Romans 8)