THE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY- Part 2

If community is neither just a place to practice spiritual disciplines or gifts, nor is it the fellowship that is practiced by the larger Body of Christ, what then is community? I think the best illustration of true community happened in the Upper Room. The night before Jesus begins his great suffering he pulls together his closest friends (and I do believe that in this moment of anguish it was His friends that He desired to be with more than his disciples) to reveal to them the essence of who He had alluded to so many times. Christ initiates the New Covenant in the midst of true community. Luke 22 details the story, but I want to look specifically at verses 13-16,

13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

In another conversation Christ has with His Disciples He made a point of changing the relationship from one of religion to one of intimacy when he states, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15) According to Thayer’s Lexicon a friend (philo), as it is used here, means joined with as in a bridegroom’s closest companions.

Within this passage there are a few elements of community that can be identified. These elements of community should empower the Church to embrace similar forms of community that strengthen the Church and bring honor to Christ. The elements of community that I identify here are not the elements of the Body of Christ nor are they elements of the greater fellowship of believers. There is no doubt that many of those elements should be expressed within community, but community has these additional elements that make it unique to the Christian experience.

1. Community is comfortable- We are introduced to the last supper event within this passage with Jesus and the twelve reclining at the table. I have often wondered about the everyday experiences of Jesus and the disciples. Even when scripture does give a glimpse of Jesus and the disciples when they are apart from the crowds the stories are about great teaching that Jesus gives to the disciples. There isn’t much at all about the time that Jesus and the disciples spend relaxing, sitting around the camp fire laughing, the inside jokes that emerge, or tears that are shed as Jesus brings healing and ministry to the group. Church is so goal driven in modern Christianity: global missions fund raisers, church growth, outreach and evangelism initiatives, and committee meetings. Community should begin with relationships. Reclining at the table sharing our stories, encouraging one another, and laughing and crying together. It requires the intention act of getting to know each other. There is no guarantee that community will emerge simply by spending time together, but no community will develop without it.

2. Community prepares us for the suffering to come- As Jesus prepares for the greatest trial of His life He states that He eagerly desires to spend time with His community. From there Jesus and the disciples were called upon to practice various forms of ministry, but it was essential that they prepared for it after they experienced community. How could Jesus simply sit around a table serving His disciples knowing what was about to happen? How could Jesus even eat? I believe that Jesus found strength, not only in His Father during this time, but through His community. Jesus deliberately chose the surround Himself with His closest friends before His trial began. Jesus later expresses his frustration in the Garden after the disciples wouldn’t stay up to pray with Him. Being in community is what will prepare us all for the trials in this life to come better than anything else. Community is now, as it was then, a time for those who are preparing for the suffering of Holy living to come together in raw intimacy to seek encouragement, support, guidance, and strength. God designed us to need others to strengthen us, to sharpen us, and to encourage us. Without community, the zealous disciple relies on His own strength, discipline, and encouragement and he ultimately either becomes isolated or fails. There is al ot of literature out there even beyond the church showing the value of community. Ecological Perspective illustrates how people shape the same societies that they shape. Evolutionary psychology illustrates the core elements of humanity that persist including communal identity. And the list goes on.

3. A personal revelation of Christ- The disciples were often sent out from the inner group to do great acts of ministry, but it appears that in those times when Christ pulled the group together it was very much about Christ serving them. These times appear to often be filled with great teachings and revelation. Christ reserved the deepest of His teachings for those who He had the most trust in their ability to understand and accept. During the Upper Room Passover meal Christ revealed His nature in way that He never had before by explaining the events that were about to come and their meaning. In addition, Jesus served the disciples during this incredibly intense dinner, but there is no indication that the disciples were expected to serve Jesus or each other. I am not suggesting that community isn’t about serving, in fact, just the opposite. Community is still a time when those who have a shared trust and intimacy come together to experience the revelation of Christ, but now members in the community act on Christ’s behalf. Trust is even more important and intimacy is even more critical because now the recipients of the revelation and ministry of Christ are also the vessels for revelation and ministry.

4. An expression of an eternal relationship- Community gives us an opportunity to practice what we will experience in heaven. In this way, simply meeting together with those you trust and with whom you have a shared journey is one of the purest forms of sacrament possible. It is a visible and ongoing symbol of the grace and mercy of the Father. It is the realization of what we will share with Christ throughout eternity. From early Greek philosophy, which has directly shaped much of modern theology, we have come to believe that the distinction between the forms of heaven and earth are noticeably different, but eternally linked. This world is but, as C.S. Lewis teaches us, a shadow of a much greater reality.

Spiritual disciplines, spiritual gifts, and ministry will naturally emerge, but none of these defines community nor is required for community to exist. Intimacy is central and, by its nature, organic, complex, messy, and difficult to predict. It takes time to develop, and is unique for each community. Community requires an investment by those within the community to each other based on trust. But above all else, community is the revelation of Christ through the individual experiences within the group. Is community the most important aspect of the Christian life? Is it more important than evangelism or promoting justice? Is intimacy the single ingredient missing from the Church today? No to all of these. Community is one element of the Kingdom that has a very unique and significant purpose. But it is the foundation of Christ’s ministry and the essence of the earliest Christian church. From there we will be called to great ministry. And from time to time we will be on our own as well with little support from a community. But participation in a community, not membership in a church or bible study or Sunday school class, but a community is our strongest link to support, encouragement, and conviction. It will prepare us for life and ministry better than anything else. And it will be our best glimpse into the future we have beyond this life.