hand me the sledgehammer
last night i attended a bbq, a sort of meet and greet to kickstart my community group this season. our church “sponsors” bible studies, which facilitate discussions about each week’s sermon. we sign up by neighborhood so that people can meet others who live near them.
i am just as nervous as i was this time last years. though i’ve had about a year of experience behind me, the though of being open and vulnerable still scares me. having been manipulated and lied to by so many friends and/or mentors i have an intense fear of trust. so why did i join? i’ve lost count of how many sermons/bible study lessons i’ve heard over the years about how christ calls us to community.
later that evening i was reading another chapter in kim thomas’ living in the sacred now. she writes, “community is an essential in the life of faith. dr. paul brand says that all cells in our body function in an interdependent way. the only cells that act independently are cancer cells. no wonder christ compared the church to a body.” whoa…
one of our pastors gave a sermon illustration in which he compared sin to one of those whack-a-mole games. that’s how i feel- there it is again. stupid independence idolatry!
isn’t it true that so many are reluctant to get involved in genuine community, but after taking part they realize their anxiety was unfounded!? good word.