Reason
#5
“until
we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no
longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him
who is the Head, that is, Christ”.
Ephesians 4:13-15
longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him
who is the Head, that is, Christ”.
Ephesians 4:13-15
We
grow up only when we show up.
God’s
primary means of growing us up is His putting us among other people.
It is in relationships where we laugh and cry, hurt and get hurt, find
friends and make enemies.
It’s easy to stay home from the family gathering because you are on bad
terms with one of your family members.
It’s hard to show up and make things right.
It
is in community where we learn what it means to grow up. We must keep showing
up. If we do we
will learn to forgive and be forgiven, get grace and give grace, serve and be
served, love and be loved, care and be cared for, and ultimately learn the
meaning and power and joy of living beyond our own selfish desires.
This
is part of what it means to be the church.
In
his simple but powerful book, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “he
who loves the idea of community more than community itself is a destroyer of
community”.
I take this to mean that the person who stands apart, who judges from the
outside in, rather than participating from the inside out, not only misses
community, but also damages it by his judgment of it.
Alternatively the one who is in community and stays, this is one who
grows up, who transcends his selfishness and self centeredness.
I
suspect that this is one of the great powers of biblical community which only
happens when I am part of the church on at least a weekly basis – the church
when it makes me an actual participant becomes God’s agent of change in my
life. I
need the church more than it needs me.
“you
are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you
belong in God’s household with every other Christian."
Ephesians 2:19 (TLB)
Ephesians 2:19 (TLB)
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