Build a Community: Deut. 7: 6-9; Colossians 3: 12-17
Many years ago, a friend of mine in another state called with a full crisis of conscience about church. She said that she was struggling to go, thought it wasn’t important, and felt like there was nothing to be gained from being there. She said, “I just don’t feel the faith fuzzies anymore.” After 11 years in ministry, I am still trying to decipher what “faith fuzzies” are.
But after a bit of conversation, there were a few things we discovered together: she loved the camaraderie of the choir, had an older couple who took her as a single woman to lunch after church on Sunday, enjoyed finding a movie buddy from Bible Study. In essence, these people had become her community of friends. In many ways they were like family. She had become bonded and connected to this community of faith and in particular to the people in it. So today we consider: who makes up your community when you need such people in your life?
A community can bring us support. Our scripture in Colossians begins with the words, “Since God chose you to be the holy people [God] loves…” Together as a group we are a holy people of God who are taught to live in ways that reflect God’s lovingkindness. Those teachings include: be tenderhearted, merciful, humble and kind, gentle and patient, and make allowance for other’s faults. Since we are God’s people this is how we live in a supportive way with one another.
If someone is sick, we bring food and offer prayer. If someone has pain and death, we visit and shine God’s comforting presence. If there is a personal problem, we listen and care talking of hope and redemption. If someone goofs up, we find forgiveness for faults. A community is meant to build support and trust—a place where we strengthen and make better the people who come into the community.
Jesus surrounded himself with disciples here on earth. Every bit of his ministry—healing, teaching, and going to the cross—all could have been done on his own. But Jesus intentionally called together a community to travel with him, support him, and provide that companionship not because he needed it, but as an example to us who do need a community around us.
Living lives of faith cannot be a solitary task for us. In times of struggle we often isolate and turn inward fearing that others will judge us, fail to understand, or make the suffering we endure even worse. And that’s a risk. People don’t always have the love and patience of God. But isolation in times of trial will destroy us. One commentary on Colossians said, “The people of God need a deep and heartfelt sympathy for the situations of others and active consideration (compassion and kindness) for others’ interest and needs.”
It requires us to see others through God’s eyes—not the immediate trouble they’re in, but how we can support them with tenderness, mercy, grace, and understanding that faults and failures happen, but always looking with an eye towards redemption and reconciliation with one another and back into God’s community of faith.
But living in community together also brings accountability. Colossians also says, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” God does not tell us to leave bad or harmful behavior and thoughts unchecked. But we are always to correct with gentleness and patience. We are told here to teach and counsel one another not throw the mother of all hissy fits.
The text in Deuteronomy references “covenant.” I believe that’s a word we don’t focus on enough these days. Our shared life of faith isn’t intertwined and woven together because of friendship, just because, or simply through liking one another well enough. We come in faith by a covenant to be a church together. That covenant is a binding promise which brings us in community together. God made a covenant with the Israelite people to be their God and to be with them in all things including delivering them from slavery in Egypt.
For us there is a new covenant which we talk about in terms of Christ’s work on the cross and offering of grace. That new covenant is a relationship based on redemption and forgiveness. But it’s also a covenant we share with one another—to follow Christ, to love as God loves, and to work for the goodness of God here on earth. And we must be accountable to that covenant we have made both in following Christ and with one another to share the work of faith.
Living in community together in Christ gives us both support and accountability. In our day and time, we see far too many people deciding they don’t need church, that they can find God just fine by themselves. But the flame in a log separated from the main fire will very shortly go cold and die out. Much as we like to do things alone and our own way, living out our faith has to be done in community together. It’s important for you and your church.
The truth is we all need each other to live the best and most Christ-like life we can with love and care, but also holding one another accountable for wrongs. It’s also necessary that we, like the Hebrew people and Paul’s churches, accept that support over rugged individualism and receive accountability instead of being constantly offended when others offer help. I need you, and we need one another. I will confess that being a single pastor in this town is a lonely endeavor. I need community from you just as much as you need one another, and just as much as you need wisdom and leadership from me. We truly are bound together as the song says.
Paul wraps up this portion of his letter with the words, “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” Both in life and in church we must learn how to live with one another in gentleness and love which works throughout our support of one another and holding one another accountable to God and to the assembled body of Christ. Everything we do, as a people of faith, we do as a representative of the God we follow. May that reminder guard our words and actions each and every moment of life.
Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/498849038772905