COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS

1 Thessalonians 1-3

In this piece of scripture, we see a vibrant portrait of a thriving community of believers. Through the apostle Paul's account of his time in Thessalonica, we see that living in community is about extending care and support to one another. This support and genuine care, reflect an ideal community where everyone looks out for one another, much like a family. Here we see a beautiful picture of believers living in harmony, supporting one another and embodying the love and care of Jesus.

The apostle Paul was a community builder. Throughout his ministry, his community was diverse and different. On paper, they had very little in common, Persians, Africans, Greeks, Romans, Jews and Gentiles. Leaders, wealthy, poor, sick, slave and free. Men and women, single and married. This was Paul's community, and he diligently learnt from this diverse group in his network.

Community is a fundamental aspect of human life. At best, community offers belonging, support and shared purpose, but at its worse, it can be a source of exclusion, conflict, or competition, leaving some feeling unwanted or unheard.

The reality is, we cannot order a community to our exact liking and dimensions.

In a letter to Mary Van Deusen in 1950, C. S. Lewis wrote:

 "For the church is not a human society of people united by their natural affinities, but the Body of Christ on which all members, however different must share the common life, complimenting and helping and receiving one another precisely by their differences."

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:12, we are members of one another. We are all different parts of the same body and because we are different, we are able to compliment and help each other. Every member that makes up a church community also serves their own function. To put it simply, each of us has our own unique strengths and weaknesses; we each are a unique piece that fit together to form a unified whole.

When we are all doing our part, and contributing to the body, we enable the body to grow. (Ephesians 4:16)

So, what does it look like for a community of Christians to actually do this?

• Why are we gathering together?

• What is our purpose?

• What is our goal?

Firstly, when we are intentional in building and investing in Christian community, we are able to live out God's greatest commandment - to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and to love our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).

Secondly, as part of the body of Christ, we are His ambassadors in this world, and are called to labour for Him. The Church as a community has a shared three fold mission:

• Worshipping God

• Discipling believers

• Sharing the gospel with the world.

These are the key components of the Great Commission as presented by Jesus and, by their very nature, can only be fulfilled in the company of others (Matthew 28:18-20).

In fact, God did not call us to do His work in isolation, but within a community, to have maximum impact.

Jesus promised in Matthew 18:20:

 "For when two or three gather in my name, there I am with them."

Assuring us, His followers, of his presence we become a sacred community that is committed and connected to God and each other; this is the ultimate expression of the church as a community.

Community is life giving, it is humbling, it is faith enlarging and is a precious reminder of God's love for each and every one of us, no matter how different or how broken we are.

Scripture calls us to build communities that are generous, mutual and inclusive, focusing on our collective strength and support, while welcoming and valuing everyone. As we strive to build our communities, we reflect the divine ideal of a harmonious, caring family of believers living out the principles of fairness and kindness that God has laid out for us.

Heavenly Father, guide us to create safe, supportive spaces where all are valued and goodness prevails.

Amen.

God bless