Our friends at a church down the road experienced a major tragedy some years ago. One of their much loved 23 year old boys went to be with the Lord. Massive tears at the memorial – the family shared intimately with literally hundreds of people crying with them. And so God’s nature was modelled and taught, on display during the memorial service; the actual gathering itself represented God so well. Community. Walking with our friends when they’re in great pain.
Secondly, our creative team produced a stunning narrative movie “better together.” There’s a hidden message to this 7 min film. The message is more than the social cozy, inclusive dignity that comes from belonging. Community is not really about us, it’s about reaching the world.
A few years ago (quite a few) when I was 18, I had rolled up at my first live-in job. It was on a New Zealand farm, I was an Anglican kid. A nice conservative Anglican kid, [as opposed to a radical Anglican kid] and my host family were so very very into the holy spirit. I lived with them. And I was scared.
Scared nervous about the new job, nervous about the brand of Christianity that my new family advocated. A scared white anglo kid – a nice scared white anglo kid, who wanted to matter…
“All the believers were together… [Acts 2:44]
This family. They were with me, they were for me, loved me, I was respected and part of their agenda. I was scared, but they were irresistable. They “togethered” me – made me part of the family team. And I changed. The simple truth is: I lived with the Wallis’, and my Iife totally changed. They provoked me into the ways of God. Ways like hearing the voice of God, evangelism, overcoming, worship.
And after that, more change. The inexplicable desire to hand over my life – to do something radically significant for God. God woke me up at the Wallis’ – that led to a crazy “love him back” desire and resulted in the privileged adventure of serving God and people in missions. I experienced deep, destiny shaping change. That led to a decision to change career and move to Australia.
So God’s team, which ultimately is his church, is legitimately a community of comfort, but it’s tragic if it stays that way. It’s a community of change.
When our son Nathan gave his closing speech as school captain, he made a very important statement: “I’ve always felt at home at St Philips…”. He flourished at St Philips (thx saints). It started at belonging but didn’t finish there. He changed.
…. “And Jesus gathered his disciples and began to teach… “
Amazing supernatural Biblical Community like we see in Acts 2 is not for our self-interested outcomes. Friend, the Jesus way, the God way, doesn’t stop at the incredible and essential “dignity through belonging”. It’s about “transformation through belonging.”
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