Community

When you think of community, what comes to mind?

I am an extrovert by nature. I love people, I love to get together with friends, I love hosting and going to parties (food, clothing, make-up, bags, those kinds of parties). I can talk to anyone, anywhere about just about anything. My husband jokes and says I could talk to a brick wall and it would talk back to me. If you are ever looking for me, you can find me talking to someone. Now, don’t get me wrong I love some quiet time too. My quiet time is mostly quiet time with the Lord though. Any other time I’m not a big, have the whole house quiet kind of person, if I’m home alone, or the girls are doing something I will have worship music playing, it can’t just be silent.

When I think about community, I think about church, I think about getting together with a group of ladies on Saturday morning over coffee, and chatting about life, and about Jesus, I think going to the mall or watching a movie with a group of like-minded ladies.

I posed the question to friends what their thoughts on community. One of my friends responded, “A place to belong. A place to be myself and know I’m supported and loved. A place to challenge and grow with others. An opportunity to reach out.” –Becky Weiss

Community means encouraging one another. Coming along side one another, building each other up, being accountable to one another, it means we have to never be alone in the good times and the bad times.

When looking at scripture, and creation, God created Adam. What did God say to Adam? God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” Genesis 2:18, so He created Eve.

Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

Community does not just happen within the walls of the building, we are the church, and so community is wherever we are.

Acts 2:46-47, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”

When others see us out and about, enjoying each other’s company, having joy in whatever we are doing, they are going to know what we have. We have Jesus and we have community.  

Community is what God desires for all us.