I read an article last week about Christians living in Community and it really made me think a lot about the way I live. One would think that we would be more connected than ever before with technology allowing us to connect through phone, e-mail, text message, video, etc. at any time, no matter where we are or what we are doing. Maybe, however, instead of asking the question "Are we connected?" as Christians we should ask "Are we in Community?"; and is this communal life reaching its full potential as God has intended? In my life I would have to anwser with a resounding NO.
Last week I ate lunch with a very good friend of mine who lives just outside of Parkersburg. He is a Christian brother that I have known for years and as been a great support to me during good and bad times in my life. The thing about this lunch meeting was that we had not seen each other or spoken in nearly 1 year! It wasn't that we had some kind of falling out or that one of us said something bad about the other's Mom...we just got busy and got caught up with our daily routines and didn't make it a priority to get together. I always meant to give him a call over this period of time but other priorities just got in the way.
I've started thinking though, what in the world could be more important than Christian relationships or Christian Community. Just imagine the possiblilities of living in community in 2009 the way that the early church did; "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)"
I've heard before that the things for which we spend our time and and our money indicate what is important to us. Does anybody have any thoughts as to how we could live out this kind of Christian Community today at SPBC?
