Community in the Church: Active or Non-existent?

Community. A huge buzzword in churches these days. Sermons on coming together, looking out for each other, praying for each other, and being stronger together are commonplace on Sunday Mornings. Powerful words, powerful concept. Unfortunately, they don’t go beyond Sunday morning. Meaningless words when nothing is changed. So many churches that I have been to over the years say one thing and do another. Every church I have been to has its clicks. They are groups of the righteous and holy. They spend their time trying to impress leadership and stay in the circle while keeping others out. Looking all holy and spiritual while hiding their issues. Doing whatever it takes to stay in the click while denying to the people outside the circle of the existing click. Then they tend to form clicks inside the clicks all the while talking about community and togetherness. Many Christians will not share their issues or problems with other Christians. In most cases, it is done out of fear. Fear that they will not see you as spiritual, righteous, or Holy. Fear that people will see them as ordinary people. After all, if they have issues, they can’t be walking with God, can they?

I know, I sound a little negative. It is hard not to when you see the things going on in the churches today. This blog is more about pointing out the issue, addressing the issue, and encouraging people and churches to work on the issue. Many of us are so stuck in our own little bubble, our own lives, that we don’t even think about others. We let just a few people in and excuse it by saying we have to keep only certain people close to us, to look more holy. On the flip side, many of us don’t spend time with Jesus daily. To honor Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do. Some have no desire or are willing to pay the price to draw closer to Him. What does that have to do with community? Everything! Without Jesus in the community, there is no community. He is at the center of the community or not in at all. I will repeat that. He is at the center of the community or not in at all. If he is not in at all, there is no community.

In addition, if there are clicks at church, there is no real community. It is all or nothing. You either have a community of believers, or you don’t. If there is a single click or multiple clicks, there is no community. If you treat certain people differently than you do others in an effort to be in their circle, that is a click. If you look down on certain people because of their status at your church, their income, their looks, your church is not a community. Enough is enough. We are in some horrific times. The world needs the church more than ever before. The world needs to see Jesus in us more than ever before. If the non-believers see division, clicks, and more in the church, why would they want to go? If they see this in us, why would they want Jesus? We must show them something different. Something they have not seen in many churches before. If we are no different from the world, they will have no reason to follow Jesus.

We must be all in. All in for Jesus. All in for community. All in for Jesus changing our lives. All in for Jesus being the center of our circle, our community. All in. Every church attendee in the community. No one outside the community. It is time we take some long hard looks in the mirror. Ask Jesus to change our ways. To give us His heart, His mind, His ways. Less of us and more of Him. That is our starting point. We must put Him on the throne in each of our lives, give Him control, and make Him the center of the circle. Once done, then we include every church person so that it fulfills the word community instead of the word click.

Today’s Prayer

Jesus, I love you! I honor you as Lord of my life. You are everything to me, so I give my everything to you. Jesus, I ask that you change our hearts and minds. Fill us with your Spirit. Help us be a reflection of you to the world. Bring us together as a community, as a family. That we can tell each other our issues and problems, support each other, pray for each other, and lift each other up. Help us become what you created us to be. In Jesus name.

AMEN

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