What is Community Really?

I have heard recently that the new definition of regular church attendance is twice a month. I have also heard that a committed Christian will give you between 2 and 5 hours a week, including a Sunday, so make the best of that time.

Our world is speeding up, our commitments are growing, our stress levels are rising, and time is flying by. In light of all this, our need to unplug and rest is becoming more and more crucial. For many people Sunday is the one day that you can really disconnect and catch up on your peace.

I wont really take any time in this post to talk about what we are saying "yes" to, or how busy we really need to be. Yet, it is worth noting, for many of us, if we add up the weekly shows we stay up on, the amount of time we spend on social media watching, and how many hours we play a game on our phone or a console, there is some time to be recaptured.

The point I want to focus on, is what is the community the Bible describes we are to walk in, and how different would our world be if we walked in it.

Let me list some of the big points I want us to focus in on.

Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."
Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider how to spur each other on to love and good deeds."
Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ..."
James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

I list these passages to simply make a point, there is so much that the Bible talks about when it comes to walking in community with others. Don't think of it as a list of things we are supposed to do, rather, think of these things as a gift God has given us.

We can walk in community with others, not bearing our own burdens, but having them shared with others. When we are down, we can have people around us that encourage us to move forward. We are a part of something far greater than just ourselves. It continues from there, I'm sure you get the idea.

The question I want you to consider is, who are you walking in community with? Who counts on you? Who are you counting on? It may be possible that you are so busy and so preoccupied, that you aren't able to really even be in community with anyone. Whatever it is that may be standing in your way, take steps today to move forward into healthy, real, life changing community.

To See and Trust

In my life I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of different people, from all backgrounds, differing gifts, and all ages. Many times I have worked with them, but there are several times I have worked "for" them, and even some of them have worked "for" me. 

In light of this, there are a couple powerful realities I have observed. One is, it is a gift when you see someone, and realize and believe they can accomplish something well. We have all likely experienced this, when we are talking about an opportunity, or project, and someone says, "You would be perfect for this!" or perhaps, you've said it to others, as the realities of the challenge or opportunity become clear, you see the person, their gifts, their experience and come to the conclusion, they were made for this moment, that there isn't a better person to take it on. These are really great moments. It feels good to hear it, and it feels great to say it. 

Another observation is, it is a powerful choice to trust someone. Trust is a tricky thing. I confess for me, it is difficult for me to trust people. Part of that is, there are times I have allowed past experiences to shape how I see people; so at times, I don't start from a place of neutral trust gaining, I start from a place of mistrust. I don't think I'm alone in that, but that is a topic for another day. However, because of this, I am even more aware of what a gift trust really is. To look at a person, and say, "I believe you can do this, and do this well, and I'm going to walk away with the expectation that good things will come from you doing this, even though I'm not watching to observe." Now obviously, I over exaggerate the statement to make a point, that point being, trust looks like something. 

Romans 14:9 says, So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

We are called to build each other up, and I have found, these two words, are some of the most powerful in this venture. We build by seeing, and we make peace by trusting.

So my simple encouragement to you, is for you to consider, who are you really seeing? And who are you really trusting? If the answer is no one, is that the answer God would desire you? Who might have God put in your path to challenge you in this way?

God Dwells in this Place

This is a guest post by my good friend Caitlyn Griffin

There is a place I like to go where I can think, pray, and dwell in the presence of God. The view is absolutely beautiful, gigantic trees lining the Puget Sound that surrounds the boating dock where I’m sitting. For a while I just sat there taking in the beauty of Washington's nature. The sun was setting and the light was hitting the water just perfectly. 

I opened up by Bible to Psalm 89 and began to read, when verses 9 and 11 stood out to me, “You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them…The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.” 

When life gets crazy and overwhelming the only thing that can calm our hearts and focus our minds is the Lord. His desire is not for us to live in chaos or depression but to live in confidence of who God created us to be- magnificent, talented, and beautiful. We should also have comfort from the Holy Spirit who brings us peace amidst all this holy land He has created. 

I am reminded of how mighty the Lord is when I read Genesis 1:6-10, “And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault ‘sky.’ And there was evening, and there was morning- the second day. And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to only place, and let dry ground appear.’ And is was so. God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ‘seas.’ And God saw that it was good.”

It is written in the Word that God calls the world we live in and the land we walk on "good". The Lord is so powerful that with His own breath He can command the sky, seas, and land to be created. With His word He commands water to be still and with His Holy Spirit we have the freedom to walk amongst the Earth in peace. God’s Holy presence fills every place we go.

Today, I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill you with peace in all the trials and triumphs you may be experiencing. And that you believe that the one true God who created the Heavens and the Earth created YOU for a purpose and for goodness.