at some point, if you've been reading HH very long, you've probably figured out I am a community sort of guy. I believe very much in developing community because in it we support each other and become stronger and more respectful to each other.Community is a good thing. Isn't it?
I've written about the farming community I grew up in and my family's role in that. I've realized and cherished my own role in the various "communities" I found myself in. I understand the importance of the relational impact and security community represents. With some blogs I've been visiting recently....I can see where a whole new so called "community" can develop, even over cyberspace.
But what drives me to near madness is this "community" intoxication the church is experiencing. Everything is community.......community groups, cell groups that are community, leadership teams that are community, community worship, children's community......all promoted by the single, four walled church. It's becoming more "communal" and that's not a good thing.
To be honest, I've got my friends at church.......but the church itself isn't "community" to me. Sure, we can care for each other and develop strong relationships inside the church-but unless I'm wrong-I think we were called to be light and salt....outside the four walls.
At some point being "community" separates us from our community.
I've got several-lots-maybe even more-solid relationships outside my church. Friends of ours that can care for & have fun with us. I'm not saying I don't need the church.....but I don't want the church to consume me! I see that happen with friends in our own church and in many evangelical churches I'm familiar with.
Maybe this is just my anti-establishment side coming through.
8 comments:
I don't hang out with people from my church. It's not that I don't want to, but I'm in several groups (church, family, friends, work, for starters) and there's little overlap among them.
We've done the small group thing at my church and it keeps wanting to become simply a Bible study rather than a way to build community. I think this is because all of us in the small groups have family and friends and work -- and we spend far more time with these people. Community, I think, takes lots of contact. While those of us in the small group did get to know each other better and became closer, I don't think that community can be achieved with Sunday morning services and one night a week at somebody's house.
So, should there be more services and meetings to build in-church community? or should it be that we strive less to make church our community and more to be a part of the broader community?
I prefer the latter.
Like your post and your addendum.
And you are not wrong--we are called to be light and salt. Mt. 5:13-14. And THE LEADER said, Go, you, into all the world. Mk. 16:15
But you knew that and all church leaders should read your post.
As a lapsed church-goer, this post really speaks to me. I don't doubt the value of having a church "community", but the modern trend for churches to be all things to all people is really troubling. I find much more "community" sitting at my neighborhood bar forming bonds with my neighbors. Part of the church as community phenomena may be a result of the suburban lifestyle where people are cut off from any sense of real community. Churches have become de facto community centers. The problem with this is that these churches tend to be homogenous, sterile places that don't reflect where we really live. In some of these mega churches, it's like going to Disney World. Disney World may be a fun place to visit, but I you don't want to live there.
dear anon,
while I struggle with where we ended up as the body of christ, in the church, today...man, we still need the church as imperfect and outa whack as we all are.
I get what you're saying though, and I'm not sure why we've messed things up so badly, or that church "community" has become the end all-be all of some people's existence. The key is to develop relationships that will challenge you, that will lead you to God-and many of those may be outside of church.
I know many of mine are.
The church I go to was founded in the 1830s, making it one of the oldest in what is now Indianapolis. It has a cemetery on the property. Last year I found at IUPUI's online library a map from the 1850s that showed who owned every plot of land in the county. I should not have been surprised that the names on the cemetery's headstones were the same as those on the map for several miles around the church.
I imagine that these people, farmers all, were a community. They were such before they entered their church building on Sunday. Church was just a continuation of their regular community.
This was at a time when what is now a 10 minute drive to downtown Indy was a major trip down the Lafayette Road, which was probably a dirt path that was impassable with rainy or snowy weather. So these people really depended on each other.
That's not to say that the modern church shouldn't facilitate and encourage community. But it is foolishness to think that people will build their lives around their congregation. Our lives are too far flung and have too many facets today.
Good observation about the early origins of church and community. I came to the same conclusion yesterday in service. Often there was a single church for virtually a whole township, and those folks worshiped together, went to school together, raised barns together...survived together.
We can't be the same today in our churches...because it does separate us from the rest of the community...time to be pioneers of another sort.
Well I have started and stopped here about 5 times.....don't you think this emphasis on Community is in some way a reaction to our general "televison" culture which seems to attempt to push the boundaries at every turn. Churches attempt to create a refuge from that for its flock! I will share that as a Catholic, many parishes traditionally had a grade school, a Knights of Columbus for men and a ladies group such as Alter Rosary Society for Women. Today I see that expanding to teen groups, music ministries,senior groups all in attempt to provide some social network for parishoners. While we all run the risk of shutting ourselves off from our neighbors if our focus is solely on the church community, I think that Church is and should be a sanctuary.
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