God has been speaking to me lately about the importance of community. It is quite uncanny sometimes how God gets the same message to you over and over again until you take notice. On Monday I blogged about how the only way to be fully alive is to live openheartedly and in community. Today Kurt Bubna reminds us in his new book Epic Grace, Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot that we are not meant to live alone, how we need the church and each other. And on Friday I will, God willing, blog about this same theme on more personal note. All this was divine planning, not intentional effort on my part.

So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25, AMP)

Kurt writes “From time to time I hear Christians say, ‘I don’t need the church. I’ve got Jesus, and that’s good enough.'” It is true that the church has had its problems throughout the history. It is true that the church is not perfect. It is true that the church is not heaven. But. That’s not all, folks!

Kurt continues “However, what these people seem not to understand is that the church, with all its warts and wrinkles, is still the body of Christ. In fact, we are the bride of Christ, and as such, we are – and always will be- unbelievably previous to Jesus.” Exactly.

We are not to forsake or neglect to assemble together as believers. We are called to be church together in Jesus’ name. No buts, no excuses. We are to love and serve God and each other, be church together.

Kurt concludes “God help us, we need one another. We can fight that reality, or we can embrace it.” There is no way around it: we are meant to live in community. It’s not easy. We do get hurt.

But grace is more than any pain ever.
God is more than any conflict ever.
Jesus is more than any fiasco ever.

We are indeed safe in God’s hands. But God uses other people to hold our hands when we need it. And God uses us to give a hand to our neighbors. We are meant to live hand in hand. We are called to live in community

 

Gracious God,
Forgive us for being selfish.
Forgive us for insisting knowing better than you.
Thank you for the gift of the church.
Show us how we can serve other people best.
Enable us to humble ourselves to receive help.
Empower for community living.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you feel about living in community? What has God taught to you about community lately?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you embrace community!

Image courtesy of Kristin Huntley, design Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Wisdom Wednesday, Unite the Bloggersphere and #tellhisstory.

This post is part of #EpicGraceWednesdays. I am blogging through Kurt Bubna’s Epic Grace. Join me every Wednesday!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review (or any review for that matter). The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”