Begin

11/18/2012

Community

Opening Prayer

Lord, as we join together again, we thank you for the communities that you are building through Naked Sunday. Continue to unite us in our individual gatherings as well as those of us that are separated by great distances. Help us to understand what real community is all about and remind us that it is through you that community is held together. Lord, continue to bring more people to community through Naked Sunday and let our lives reflect real community in all we do.

Amen

Song

As we do each week, let’s join together in worshiping God through music and song before we begin!

Click on the “Listen” tab for music selections that will help your community enter into God’s presence.

Message

Have you ever stopped and reflected on the great risks of love and authentic community? Love and community are not things that we enter into lightly, but require much responsibility. Love is a risk because with the great blessings of love, also comes the potential of great pain. When we love each other in complete fullness, we expose our fragile hearts to the world, much like a dandelion, brittle and vulnerable, risking destruction by a sudden gust of unexpected wind. The question that we must ask ourselves then is, “Is it worth it?” From of our own experiences, and as Christ as our example, can we not all agree in the affirmative? The intoxicating blessings of love and real community far outweigh the potential pain that may come and the regret that would come from never loving.

Click on “Read” for John 13:34-35.

We are called by Christ to “love one another”, but we are never called to “like” one another. Love comes from a commitment and devotion to the other person or community because they deserve our love. Being created in God’s image, each human being deserves love, not because of what they do or do not do, but because of who they are. In some circumstances, loving one another has nothing to do with emotions. Can we dislike someone, and yet still genuinely love them? Not only is this possible, but we will almost assuredly experience this in real Christian community.

Imagine for a moment the relationship between Jesus’ twelve disciples and how they interacted with and felt about one another. They came from different backgrounds and more than likely didn’t always agree on everything. For example, imagine the possible relationship of Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector; two men that came from backgrounds of both theological and philosophical polar opposites. Both were called by Jesus to love each other, but it is doubtful that they always “liked” each other or got along very well. Imagine the heated dialogues that may have arisen between a man that once believed in overthrowing the Roman yoke of oppression through violence and bloodshed, and a man that supported Rome’s extortion of the Jews through unjust taxation. Both left their previous lives in order to follow Christ, but there is no doubt that some baggage came with each.

Imagine overhearing Simon crying out in frustration, “Why is this scumbag among us! He’s one of them! He betrayed God’s people!” And when Jesus taught them about loving your enemy, could Matthew have interrupted and shouted out in sarcasm, “I’m pretty sure that includes not killing them, Simon!” But in the end, both men loved each other, because the bond that brought them together in community was supernatural and transcended the divisions.

And that’s what we ultimately come to. Love is supernatural. It transcends all barriers and areas of division and unites one to another in a way that we sometimes do not comprehend. It’s no coincidence that love remains the most simple and yet most powerful attribute of God. “God is love”

Click on the “Read” tab and take a look the selected passage from 1 John.

God is love. We are called to love one another. Is it possible that when we love one another, we are revealing God in His most essential manifestation? Is it possible that when love is revealed, even outside of the Christian faith, others are seeing a glimpse of God that may eventually draw them to Him? Is it a coincidence that love is the one emotion that encapsulates all feelings that humans can experience, all at the same time? Although bound by a supernatural union, community has the power to transcend the culture around us through its simplicity.

Click on “Read” and take a look at 1 Corinthians 13: 13.

This is often called the “Love” chapter that you’ve probably heard at weddings. But the simplicity of the last verse is powerful. Community is simple. It is rooted in the essential love of God, and through our faith in God, we build hope for the future. Through our love for one another, God is manifest in our presence. If we long for more of God in our communities, and more of Christ’s presence working in our midst, perhaps we should first focus on loving one another more.

When you think about it, community is somewhat like a mosaic; A vast array of personalities, woven together by a common thread, that being Christ. If viewed from afar, it is easy to see the image and the beauty that it demands. It appears as one complete image, without division or breaks in flow. But when one looks closer and deeper into the mosaic, it is easy to see that the unity of the image is created by many imperfect and quite unassuming tiles. There is nothing necessarily special about each one, although each is unique. And consider this. If one single tile falls out of place, the entire mosaic image is flawed. The missing piece will leave a blank space in its absence, thus distorting the entire mosaic image. The presence of that one tile is not necessarily recognized, but if it is removed, the disunity is apparent.

Christian community is unique in that the unity we witness comes from Christ being at the center of all we do. In essence, He is the only unifying factor that binds us in community. He remains the center, while all other aspects fade in importance. And because of this, being part of community is essential in terms of our spiritual growth. We need the supernatural unity of Christian community, especially those that share a common vision of life and God's Kingdom. It is exciting to be part of a community that is bigger than ourselves. Community opens new doors of possibility and when that happens, we see the Kingdom of God realized just a little more than before. When we open our vision to new and different community, we pull back the shade just a bit more so that the world can see His Kingdom in its essence and fullness.

Closing Prayer

Lord, as we end this time together, may we go with the grace and peace that you have for all of us. May we love one another more fully and through that love, build community with you at the center.

Amen

As you go, go with the inner peace that God wants for each one of us, and may your communities be filled with his overwhelming peace as well!  

May the Lord bless you, may he keep you, and may he give you peace!

Reflect

Click on the "Reflection" tab for a suggested prayer for your community and selected questions for discussion.

See you next Sunday and have a most blessed Thanksgiving! 

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18