Do Something Remarkable – Be Part of a Community of Faith

Being the youngest of three boys growing up, I learned that pride must take a back seat to reality. I wanted to be the biggest, the strongest, the smartest, the tallest, and so forth, but reality taught me to accept that life isn’t about standing out from others but standing with them. I never got bigger, taller, smarter, or better than my brothers, but I have become more fond of them as the years have passed. I did not realize it as a child or even young adult, but what I know now is that when I stand with other people and help them grow, I have gained all I need for a rich life.

Life and culture ebbs and flows. When I was growing up, most of my friends went to a church. The majority of my children’s friends did not grow up in a church. Years ago, most people were part of a group of some kind, from sports to music to church or an organization like scouts. Today, particularly following covid, many people are not part of a group, not even a friend group. Years ago, it seemed like a radical thing to say, “I don’t need to go to church to worship God – I can worship God in the woods!” However, if I say now, “I can worship God anywhere, but I want to worship in church!” that would be a radical idea! To my teenage mind, being part of a church restricted my freedom, but as I look at my life now, I see that the basic accountability of showing up regularly, dealing with people who don’t see things the way I do, and learning to love despite differences is not restrictive at all. In fact, being part of a church has expanded my faith and my mind in ways I could not have anticipated. My freedom has grown by staying committed to the church.

God designed us to be together, to have accountability to each other, and to work out and accept our differences. When we separate from each other too much, the fabric that holds us and our society suffers. The church teaches Jesus cared for the outcasts and we should as well. The church uplifts the Golden Rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us (Matthew 7:12). The church teaches us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). By word and example, the church says we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19).

The phrase “love one another” appears 11 times in the New Testament, depending on the translation you use. “Serve one another” appears twice, and the word “serve” appears 37 times. One of my favorite passages, Philippians 2:1-11, tells us in no uncertain terms that we are to be like Jesus, becoming a servant to others and to God’s will. Paul does not mean we become a beating post that everyone can take advantage of or a wet rag that does not even care for itself. Rather, if we could dare to believe it, we only become fully what God intends us to become when our wishes and whims are not the center of the universe, when we care enough for others that we speak the truth in love and let them speak truth to us, and when we are so caught up in the goodness of God that everything else takes a back seat.

Certainly, we can worship God in the woods alone – please do! No doubt you can read the Bible by yourself – I hope you will. Without question, we are strengthened when we question the church, each other, and ourselves. However, if I do not respect others enough to listen, how will I learn? If I do not consider that someone who says things I do not like could be teaching me something, how will I uncover the depths of my faith or gain new insights? If I consider myself above the church and being part of a group of people who don’t make me happy all the time, what do I think love really is? If love is what is convenient and easy for me, do I have love, or am I confusing happiness and ease for love?
So, when you head out for worship this weekend or this week, and I hope you do, carry a thought with you. If someone should ask what you are doing or why you are doing it – you can tell them: “I’m doing something that’s hard and original! I’m going to love my neighbors at church even when they bug me, and they’re going to challenge me to keep becoming a better version of myself!”

Times have changed – we are now becoming a minority – people who are willing to be accountable, to listen to others, to be part of a community that gives life to the larger community. As you go to church and see all the people who are staying home, remember that what you are doing is helping them, and one day before long, you may have a chance to help them find their purpose and redemption through Jesus’ church.
It's my honor to serve alongside you!