September 25, 2011

The Closest We Ever Came

 

“Community” is a tenet which is laid cobblestone with the very foundation of our Faith— and rightly so.

          Through the elements of a tightly-knit and healthy community, we gain the immeasurable benefits of accountability, fellowship, encouragement, support, and, most importantly, our defining unity in Spirit of Faith, Belief, and Truth. Moreover, the presence of a (truly and earnestly) Christian body, we obtain a model for our aggregate composition: the Bride of Christ.

          Contrary to the misguided doctrine of some modern churches, the “Church” is not just one solitary group of individual believers (nor “denomination”), and it is certainly not something buried behind the sheet-rock walls a congregation is regularly present within. The Church, in actuality, consists of every Believer from across the pitched and stretched face of Time and Space, from each one of Humanity’s eras, captured in but a mere still-shot of Eternity’s infinite extent. It is a Body that, when amassed, equates to so much more than any of its individual parts (or “Members”).
          However, as reassuring as it most definitely is (or should be) that we stand with such a beautiful wealth of Souls amongst the ranks of our Faith, it yet remains astoundingly difficult to unify— much less maintain the unity of— any one localized family body of Christians. The question as to what exactly our respective churches should look like has been one of the most forefront queries in each of our Convicted Hearts...
          But are we, as one entity, truly attempting to do more than only consider this question? 

          Tragically, it does not (at least, to me) seem to be so. To find a paragon church that has existed “closest” to perfection, in both intention as well as expression, one could search the world over. But I believe our most lucid and comprehensive “for instance” can actually be found in the latter part of Acts 2:41-47, where God’s Word describes the convictions and realities of a community arming itself with full earnestness of Faith:
 
41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
 42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Now, with that specific collection of Christians as a standard, a mark to which we can but strive to aim for, take an honest moment (in a moment) to consider your own church, your own regular body of Believers. And, as humbling and difficult as I know (personally) it is to do, I encourage you to be radically honest in your comparisons— not holding yourself, nor your church, in judgment, but only being forthcoming to your own Soul about the discrepancies... 

Man, that’s tough.

          Part of me wants to excuse myself (as well as any church) by saying, “Well, of course they believed that much, back then! They had just seen miracles! There were 3,000 souls converted in one day. They’d have to be dense to not be so affected by what they had witnessed!”

          However, is it their intelligence that should be called into question?...

                                                             Or is it our own?

What should it matter that they witnessed "wonders and signs" where we do not, ourselves, witness such things? Is our Belief not still the same? Is the Faith not still held in common? We are of the same Body, the same family; we are kin to these Souls. We either Believe these things, and have Faith in them, or we do not. There is no room for ambivalence. And, if our convictions are as earnest as we testify, then should that not be shown through each and every one of our own lives? Through our personal communities? Through how we relate to and interact with those within (as well as without) our churches?

Is that what I do?...

                                                    Is that what you do?...

                                 Is that what the modern church does?...

And, if the answer is "No" to any one of those three humbling questions, then shouldn't we (as in you, as in me) be doing something to try and change that response?...