“There is no place I would rather be!
No place I would rather be,
Than here in your love,
Here in your love LORD!”
Worshiping in the Chinese courtyard; worshiping in Thailand with the Burmese children; worshiping in the children’s home in Cambodia; worshiping while singing Tamil Christmas songs in homes in Malaysia; worshiping as a squad alongside members of numerous congregations in Japan; worshiping in Albania with a church of 10 in the valley of snowcapped mountains; worshiping with our host family in Bulgaria; and worshiping with our squad in the base,ment of a Romanian hostel; these truths were proclaimed. Time and time again, I am amazed at the beauty of joining together in worship. The power that comes as diverse stories unify, in a single moment, to worship their sovereign King!
I continuously am reminded of the blessing that is community. In community, we worship as God leads. In community, I have been encouraged to do things beyond myself. The dreams I was once told were impossible, or was lead to believe were dreamt up out of my lack of understanding of missions, have been called out as passions that are certain to glorify God. In community, we seek to bring glory to God, rather than seeking to simply be successful. Through the challenges and strengthening of community, I have released fears and stepped into a life led by the joy of the spirit and the truth of the Word!
Community, or in the Greek Koinonia, was always intended to challenge, to empower and to build up. Yet, it seems so many Christian communities have settled for the comfortable. Fear has surrounded the possibility of offending, of being too ‘charismatic’ or too ‘traditional’, of seeming to be too weak or too transparent, of appearing to lack independence. Communities have formed that seek to keep up an appearance that confirms to society, but separates from the image of community Christ intended for the church.
In Acts 2: 42-47 we see a display of the community Christ intended for the church:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possession and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. “
In the early church the word ‘my’ was a curse word. Everything, material and spiritual, existed in community. Fellowship was required in order to learn. Community empowered prayer and provision, as it strengthening and for sending. There were no fears of being transparent, as transparency was required in order to overcome strongholds, to step into the strength of the Lord and to walk out in growth. Growth was natural:
“…And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (47)
Worshiping with our squad in the basement of a Romanian hostel these truths were proclaimed. The floorboards creaked as some stood, some moved to pray over others, some bowed to their knees, and some sat in solace. In months the community that surrounding me has become family, as we join together singing:
“Set a fire down in OUR souls,
That WE can’t contain,
That WE can’t control.
WE want more of you LORD!”
