Aspects of Faith--Community

“Let those who will not be in community fear being in community.

Let those who will not be in community fear being alone.”

 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together[1]

The story goes that evangelist Dwight L. Moody once stopped at a country inn f where one of the patrons tried to engage him in a theological argument.  The man said that he was a Christian, but that he did not believe in going to church.  After all, isn’t one’s religion a personal matter?  Why should we have to be in company with others? 

Moody was too tired to argue.  Instead, he took a poker to the coal fire in the fireplace.  He pulled out one coal and set it on the hearth.  They watched as the coals in the fireplace remained hot, and the one on the hearth turned black and coal.  “That, sir,” Moody stated simply, “Is why we need a church.” 

Community living is like a dance between porcupines—we are drawn together out of loneliness, but we can’t help trading barbs.  It would be easier to live in isolation, but we can’t—we really do need each.  

Robert Bellah wrote in Habits of the Heart,

“We find our (true) selves not independently of other people and institutions but through them.   We never get to ourselves on our own.  We discover who we are face to face and side by side with others in work, love and learning.  All of our activity goes on in relationships, groups, associations, and communities ordered by institutional structures and interpreted by them.” [2]

Kenneth Boa writes:

“Life in Jesus is not meant to be solitary and individualistic but shared and collective.  . . . the nurture of the community of faith is designed to prepare us for our everlasting life with the Lord and with one another.”[3]

Christian community is not a goal to be achieved, but a present reality created by Divine command, not human effort.  We do not “achieve” community—we already are a community. Any effort to “achieve” it is bound to fail, since we cannot do in the flesh what already been done in the Spirit.   Jesus called the Christian community ecclesia, or  “the called-ones.” When anyone responds to the call of God to become a participant in His kingdom through surrender to Christ,  that person, no matter how different they may be from us becomes our brother or sister.  We did not choose who we are called to love. We are called to love all who believe in Him, and so we already exist in community with them.

This must have been terribly hard for the first generation of Christians were common fishermen from the same town—business competitors. Matthew was their tax man.  Simon Zealotes was a member of a terrorist group that murdered tax men.  One of their number was a traitor and a thief.  Some were young and some were old.  Some were married and others single.  Some were wealthy and others poor. Some were educated and others illiterate. Yet Jesus they became closer than brothers, willing to die for and with each other.

Individualized faith isn’t just incomplete, it’s mostly imaginary.  We can’t live as Christians without obeying Jesus’ one new commandment- “love each other.”  Isolated Christians are easy targets for temptations, but joined together we reinforce can have great strength.   Whatever knowledge and experience we think we have, the community has more.  Our combined strength is greater than the sum of its parts.

Living in community keeps our faith real. In it our feelings, attitudes, and behavior are exposed. If we act in any other way than what we proclaim, the community will discover it and we are “outed” as hypocrites. If we are serious about living as a Christ-follower, we will welcome this exposure as a means of purification. But if we keep our faith alone and to ourselves, there is no one to expose the places we need correcting.  When we walk with others we walk in the light and grow strong in our faith. 

The virtues of Community

The first virtue of community is presence. Despite computers and social networks, we still need whenever possible to come together face o face.  A computer screen of smart phone is not sufficient when a person is hurting. Facebook messages and well-meaning texts cannot hold our hands when we are hurting, or hug us when we are feeling lost.   We may be spiritual creatures but we inhabit animal bodies,  and need the touch of other bodies.   There is no substitute for a sympathetic smile, a warm touch, and a listening ear. 

Being in community is messy, but being out of community is worse. Augustine wrote, “Without the church, there is no salvation.”  While that statement may be debatable, it is undeniable that we need each other to lead us to the full life of Christ.  

The second virtue is empathy. Empathy is the ability to move out of our own thoughts and feelings and into the thoughts and feelings of others.  Of all the attributes, of community, this may be the most important.

Recently, I met a small-groups director from one of the largest churches in the country,   His job was overseeing one hundred and ten small group leaders—and there were two more men who had his position with just a many groups! He never met the groups—only the leaders.  He was a small group leader himself of newlyweds in their twenties.  It is no stretch to say that these groups had tremendous empathy for each other.  After all, the people in these group shared the same age, views, and social strata.  It’s easy to have empathy for people like ourselves.

My current church is small—fifty or sixty people on a good Sunday—but it is diverse.  Old and young, black and white, rich and poor, new believers and mature believers meet together, sharing the work, the jokes, and the tears.  There is nothing wrong with either church,  but I must ask the question—if our goal is to grow empathy with people who are different, in which one are we most likely to happen—in a place where everyone is the same, or a place where we are forced to listen to people who are different? Empathy is learning to appreciate our differences and see the hearts of people beneath the superficial differences. 

The third virtue is Accountability. We grow in community not so much from mutual enjoyment as from exercising grace through conflict. The sword and the whetstone lie peacefully together only when rusting in the drawer. It’s in the sharp exchange of ideas and feelings that true communities are forged. 

Paul makes it clear that we should value other members of our community as better than ourselves.  Each member, offers something to us, something from which we may benefit. We learn only if we sincerely seek to see their perspectives. This requires a humility, taking the stance of a learner, not seeking to instruct, but to be instructed.  

It’s not always easy to stay together, but that doesn’t mean we should forsake the company of brothers and sisters who irritate us.  Proverbs says “As iron sharpens iron,  so does one man sharpen another” When iron strikes iron, sparks fly.  The only way we get sharp is through tough, honest interaction.  Through argument, emotional response, forgiveness and reconciliation we chisel each other into the shape God intends.  

The fourth attribute is commitment.  Community requires a bond of trust.  There must be no deceit or hidden motives. The higher the level of intimacy required in a relationship, the deeper the commitment we need.  

In Matthew 10: 11-13 Jesus told us “whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.”   In other words, change homes because someone else has a nicer house. Don’t be looking for greener pastures, stay and learn to love who’s here. This is the principle of stability, or blooming where we are planted.

Commitment to a local body of believers is essential to community. This commitment is something we enter not because we deserve but because they don’t. Commitment is recognizing that community is not for us, but for all of us together.

Jesus asked Peter in the last chapter of John, “Do you love me?”  He asked three times and Peterr told Him three times “You know I love you.”  Each time Jesus answered the same way  “Feed my sheep.” They way we express love to Christ is to care for those Have cares about.  We have to see our identity as part a community of faith, and not as solitary individuals. As we feed they those around us,  their faith feeds us, and we grow in faith together.

How about you?  How does your self-awareness connect with the community of faith around you?  How do you keep your connections with God strong through your community with others?  Would you be interested in building connections with other Christians online or in person? I’d love to

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[1] Dietrich Bonheoffer  Life Together (Harper & Row, New York) 1954, p.  77. 

[2] Robert Bellah, Habits of the Heart, quoted in Bobos in Paradise by David Brooks, p.  236.

[3][3] Boa Conformed to His Image, p.

The Disciplines of Self-awareness

 There are many ways of learning about ourselves. Here are a few methods which have proven helpful.

Journaling

Journaling is perhaps the best and oldest method of self-examination. Journaling can be written or recorded on audio tape or video.  Most practitioners of journaling still prefer to write them,  since the process of writing is slower and causes us to weigh o

Journaling not only records our reflections, but helps us uncover our emotions. In telling the story of each day, we do what every story teller does—we assign meaning to what is most important. When we adopt a prayerful attitude, we learn to assign that meaning in the light of Christ.

Journaling was widely used among Christians of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries.   The journals of Wesley, Whitfield, John Owen, and others provide for a rich record of God’s work in individual lives, and provided a source of stability in the lives of the authors. 

Donald Whitney writes:

“More than almost any other discipline, journaling has a fascinating appeal with nearly all who hear about it.  One reason is the way journaling blends biblical doctrine and daily living, like the confluence of two great rivers, into one.  And since each believer’s journey down life’s river involves bends and hazards previously unexplored by them on the way to the Celestial City, something about journaling this journey appeals to the adventuresome spirit of Christian growth.” [1]

In our journals, we write down what happened during the day, and what we felt about them. But in Christian journaling we take it one step farther.  We ask the question—where was God in our day?  God is a living presence in our lives every moment.  How is He reacting hour by hour and minute by minute to what we are thinking, doing and feeling?  Where was God in our struggles? What blessings has He given us?  How is He revealing Himself in our lives?  Journaling is not just and inner conversation, but an upward conversation to Him.  As we speak in our journals about Him, we often experience His voice talking back to us. 

Examens

Examinations are means of laying our thoughts, actions, and emotions against the authority of Scripture.  The practice is very old, going back to the Old Testament.  Psalm 119:9, for example, says  ‘How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word’.

Paul recommends Scripture-based examinations in 2 Tim. 3:16-17,   “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We often focus on the semantic issue of what he meant by “God-breathed” and miss the very practical issue of what he is asking us to do—submit our thoughts, lives, and behavior to the correcting, rebuking, and training the Scripture.  We talk about the Bible as God’s word, but we don’t treat it as God’s word.  It becomes an object of debate, but not obedience.

Examens are practical applications of the Bible to our lives on a regular basis.  Here’s an example.

Begin with a passage of Scripture—the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) for example,  or the Beatitudes (Matthew 5).  Read it several times slowly, each time asking yourself one of these  questions:

What is there for me to do or believe in this passage?

What promises are here for me?

Where have I fallen short?

Where do I need to change?

We should not become discouraged when discover our thoughts, feelings, and behavior are far short of what they should be. Growth takes time. Just accept God’s forgiveness and move on. 

Many times, we discover that we have not disobeyed God in big things--we’ve committed no murders or have avoided adultery--but we do find in ourselves harsh, cynical attitudes, or small slights towards others. When we find this, we should confess them and deal with them.  This is not because God is such a petty perfectionist that He would cast us out of His kingdom over littering or jaywalking, but because God wants us to improve ourselves, and get stronger. 

Effort given to small sins increase our ability to resist big sins.  A small weight lifted a hundred times will build as much muscle as a large weight lifted ten times.     The small, daily victories of God’s grace in our lives, when told and recorded, will strengthen our faith daily. 

   The word “examen” comes from St. Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises.  It has been adapted for the modern world many times. One such modern form is found in Jim Manney’s excellent little book A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St.  Ignatius Loyola's Examen.  He suggests five simple steps done daily:

“1. Ask God for light. 

“2. Give thanks. 

“3. Review the day. 

“4. Face your shortcomings. 

“5. Look toward the day to come.[2]

Every self-examination needs to be accompanied with an assurance of God’s forgiveness.  If in our zeal for improvement concentrate too hard on our faults and our need for improvement, then our thoughts wander from Him and towards ourselves.  The only way to perform an examen profitably is keep the Cross in mind.   Our failures are due to our sinful nature; our successes are due to His grace.  Remembering this helps us to keep perspective so that each recognition of our osn limitations becomes a reminder of His unlimited forgiveness. 

Questions for Self Examination

Do I journal my thoughts on a regular basis?

Is a spiritual self-examination part of your devotional life?  If so, how is it working for you?

What methods of self-examination work best for your life?

If this blog has meant something to you, please share it with your friends.  Also, go back and read my other blogs in this series, and if you are interested in knowing more on the subject of the Faith Matrix, subscribe for the latest updates.  

Check out my YouTube channels, too, especially the faith matrix channel.  You might also check out my sermon blog, billsmessages.blogspot.com.  

One more thing—comment on the post. I crave feedback.  If you don’t want to comment publicly I can be reached on Facebook or directly by email at pastorbill@comporium.net or bfleming2@windstream.net. 

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[1] Whitney, Donald S.  (2012-01-05).  Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life with Bonus Content (Pilgrimage Growth Guide) (p.  221).  Navpress.  Kindle Edition.

[2] Jim Manney A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St.  Ignatius Loyola's Examen (Kindle Location 1).  Kindle Edition.

The Identity Balance

John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Faith,  wrote:

“Our wisdom . . . consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other.” 

In other words, we need to know ourselves in order to know God, and we need to know God in order to know ourselves.

It’s easy to see the hang-ups we have from having too low or two high an opinion of ourselves.  If we have a poor sense of our own worth, we may try to overcompensate destructive ways. But if our sense

of identity is too high of self-esteem, we wind up self-centered and inconsiderate of others.

But how does this connect with the knowledge of God.  If our self-identity is too low, then it is difficult to see how God can love us.  But if our self esteem is too high, we can easily forget Him. Either way,  an improper sense of identity can cause us to fall off that tightrope balance that is the “narrow way”  righteousness.  To fall of doesn’t mean death, since we are in God’s hands, but it does make it difficult to know him and have faith in Him. 

Our sense of identity has two parts.  We are aware of ourselves as belonging to a community, giving us  a place in a wider world.   An American sees himself as belonging America, just as a Roman saw himself as belonging to Rome. A Christian equally defines herself being in Christ, which is what the word “Christian” originally meant.

We grow faster in our faith when we live it inside a supportive community.  It also gives us a place to express and communicate our faith with others.  Love calls us to togetherness, while self-love (which is of equal importance to love of others) calls us to be alone.

 We are also self-aware, having a personality that is different from the rest. We are not just American, British, Australian, Catholic, Baptist, or Christian, but we are also individually different.  This self-awareness means we can stand alone without external support from others. We can support others and join the crowd, but we can also choose to go our own way.   

Our faith defines our community and our inner knowledge. We need to be part of a group, but we also need to be away from that group. If we lose ourselves too much in group awareness, we risk becoming blind, overly dependents followers of a cause or cult.  If we lose ourselves in self-awareness, we can become unable to see ourselves properly, and are prone to arrogance.   If we go too far in either direction,  we will not be a whole person. 

Michael Kerr tells the story of a porcupines living in a common burrow while trying to endure a hard winter.  If they huddle closely for warmth, they will get stuck on each others’ quills. If they stay apart, they freeze to death.  We have to live close enough to our fellow people to share their warmth and far enough away to keep from being stuck. [1] Independence keeps us from being led astray, while community spares us from loneliness. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously wrote “Let those who will not be alone fear being in community. Let those who will not be in community fear being alone.”[2]  In order to have a close relationship to God, we need to build bridges to fellow believers, as well as a strong understanding of who we really are.  This is a hard balance to strike, but it is worth the effort. 

Are you more comfortable being alone, or being with others?  We are all think, act and feel differently about what part of this balance of identity is the most important to us.

Think about when you feel closest to God.  Is it when you are worshipping in a crowd or alone in prayer? 

How can you use both your alone time and together time to draw closer to God, who is with us at all times? Write me and let me know what your think.  If this makes you think share it with others, or better yet, take a moment to subscribe to this blog.  Write me a note or a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

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[1][1] Quoted in Creating Healthier Churches:  Family Systems Theory, Leadership, and congregational life From the Creative Pastoral Care and Counseling Series, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, Min, 1996, p. 66.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together.