RIVERSIDE REFLECTIONS: where's the community?
Last night, Antonina was away at a women's Bible study group, so I was home alone. I began to reflect on the value of friends. This last year has been the first time in my life when I did not have daily interaction with good friends. Elementary, middle, and high school are days filled with friends. College is too. After college I worked various jobs, all of which I made good friends at, and lived with neighbors or roommates that were good friends. During seminary I lived in a apartment building with two other families with whom we were friends. At church there was a couple on staff that we were great friends with. But about a year ago, they moved to another assignment and we moved into the parsonage and out of the apartment. Since then, as I look back, there has been a tremendous void in my life. The void is community.
Community is the thing that helps us stay sane. It is what makes life fun, enjoyable, even bearable. Community is our support network that celebrates with us in the good times, and mourns with us in the bad. I think church is supposed to be this way, but only once in my life have I experienced the church being this type of community. So why is community so seemingly difficult?
I think the biggest reason is that it takes time out of already busy schedules. Take for instance the typical Nazarene week. Sunday School, Worship, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Probably you're looking at about 5 hours of commitment each week. In addition, many have other responsibilities such as teaching Sunday School which means lesson prep, worship team which means rehersal, or board/committtees which mean meetings. So how much are people really willing to give to the church?
What is absolutely necessary? It seems to me there are three and only three things the church is called to do: Worship, Disciple, Evangelize. We can couch those words however we want, but that is the basic structure of the church. When churches exist and are missing one of these elements they fail to develop mature Christians. Why do I feel this intense lonliness? What type of corporate discipleship do I participate in regularly? During Sunday School I am usually preparing for worship. I am not really envolved in a small group community. So why would I expect not to feel alone?
I wonder how many people go through life living every day the way I feel today. What if the church made it a priority to meet the most basic of human needs. In community all the things that we want to happen seem to happen better. People learn better, people work better, people worship better, people give better.
I guess beyond this concern lies a fear. Where will I find community? Can a pastor experience this type of intimacy with the people? I have never seen it. Sure there are pasors' meeting (maybe once a month) and sure there are retreats (once a year), but where do pastors find that regular community we all desire and where we all blossom?
All of this brings me back to my original question: where is the community?
How have you seen community developed in you church?
Community is the thing that helps us stay sane. It is what makes life fun, enjoyable, even bearable. Community is our support network that celebrates with us in the good times, and mourns with us in the bad. I think church is supposed to be this way, but only once in my life have I experienced the church being this type of community. So why is community so seemingly difficult?
I think the biggest reason is that it takes time out of already busy schedules. Take for instance the typical Nazarene week. Sunday School, Worship, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Probably you're looking at about 5 hours of commitment each week. In addition, many have other responsibilities such as teaching Sunday School which means lesson prep, worship team which means rehersal, or board/committtees which mean meetings. So how much are people really willing to give to the church?
What is absolutely necessary? It seems to me there are three and only three things the church is called to do: Worship, Disciple, Evangelize. We can couch those words however we want, but that is the basic structure of the church. When churches exist and are missing one of these elements they fail to develop mature Christians. Why do I feel this intense lonliness? What type of corporate discipleship do I participate in regularly? During Sunday School I am usually preparing for worship. I am not really envolved in a small group community. So why would I expect not to feel alone?
I wonder how many people go through life living every day the way I feel today. What if the church made it a priority to meet the most basic of human needs. In community all the things that we want to happen seem to happen better. People learn better, people work better, people worship better, people give better.
I guess beyond this concern lies a fear. Where will I find community? Can a pastor experience this type of intimacy with the people? I have never seen it. Sure there are pasors' meeting (maybe once a month) and sure there are retreats (once a year), but where do pastors find that regular community we all desire and where we all blossom?
All of this brings me back to my original question: where is the community?
How have you seen community developed in you church?
posted by EF + at 8:39 AM
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