tonight i was reminded again how much i love living life in the context of community. there are some who say that they need no one else to complete them-- that they are fine on their own--but i am pretty sure that i would not survive without others to walk alongside me.
i know that some people have grown weary of the church. i know that some have considered her message to be out of touch and out of date. that we have moved past the point of needing her influence in our lives. (keeping in mind that we all have varying definitions of what/who the church is)
some might say that it is possible to love god, to follow the teachings of jesus, to be a christian and not go to church. and on some level, i can see where they are coming from. at one point in my journey i would have whole-heartedly agreed. but today i don’t.
i am not sure that this whole “christianity” thing was meant to be as individualistic as we have made it out to be. we have made such a big deal about knowing jesus as your ‘personal’ lord and savior that i think at times we have missed what it means to be a body. we have individual parts saying that they really don’t need each other.
maybe god meant for us to be in relationship with more than just him. maybe it is about each other just as much as it is about him. maybe it is not just vertical, but horizontal. maybe the two really cannot be separated.
the truth is, life experience is richest when it is shared with others. the valley never seems quite so dark when we do not walk it alone. likewise, the mountaintop seems so much greater when we reach the summit with another at our side.
i guess what i am trying to say is that i love the church. i love when she lives out the life she was designed for. when she welcomes those who are hurting and weary. when she brings hope and healing to those lost in despair. when she truly is the body of christ.
i love that i am a part of that glorious bride. we are the church. i love being a part of the upper room...doing life together and breaking down what it really means to "be" the church. i love when we reflect just a bit of the one who loves us so much.
peace to you,
scott
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