This month, Team Shekinah has lived in the church and a house together, planned, cooked, and eaten meals together, done laundry together, slept together in the same bed, prayed together, worshiped together, read together, taught Sunday school together, visited the orphanage together, prayed over the sick together, taught English together, and in all other daily activities done it together. Most of this month, I’ve slept sandwiched in between two of my sisters with barely enough room to turn onto my side without an elbow or knee in my back or stomach. There’s a Biblical joke about the believers in Acts doing everything in one Accord. Just imagine all seven of us squeezed into a Honda Accord! It may sound absurd, but at times I’ve felt as though that would be more comfortable than this. Unlike the Acts church, we really haven’t mastered the art of living in community with selfless grace, abundant compassion, and love in spirit and in truth.
God did not create us to live solitary lives; He created us for community. Throughout the Bible, God gives us a clear picture of His intentions for us in community. When God saw Adam in the garden of Eden, he saw there was no suitable helper for Adam, so he created Eve. The Israelites were divided according to the 12 tribes of Isaac and each had its purpose and duty to serve the greater community. Through the commands regarding sacrifices, we see God providing a portion of the sacrifices for the Levitical priests, whose calling was to mediate between the community and God at the temple. In the book of Ruth, we see how God provided for the widows and orphans by commanding farmers in their community to allow them to glean in the fields after the first harvest. He also provided for widows through a kinsman redeemer, a family. While Jesus spent time in solitude praying to God the Father, he spent the majority of his time with the 12 disciples preaching and ministering to the people. When Jesus prayed for the believers, he prayed, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have love them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23). The Acts church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:42,44-45). Paul writes that the body of Christ is made of many parts which works together in unity as each member uses the individual gifts that God has given (1 Corinthians 12).
In true community, each members’ needs are met by the community. What is mine is also yours, because nothing is really mine, it is all a gift from God. Each member is actively using the gifts God has given for the encouragement and function of the Church body. There is no place for jealousy or envy of others’ gifts or a fear of actively manifesting the gifts God has given. The community prophesies over each other and helps members realize and use the gifts that God has given them. Each member is held together by the common uniting factor of “one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:3-6). In true community, each member lives in humility seeking first the interest of others, being quick to forgive, slow to anger, and abounding in compassion, thinking the best of each other (Philippians 2:4, Numbers 14:18).
I pray that we will grow to be more and more like the Acts church, living out true community. I pray that I will be sensitive to the needs of others above my own and pray for wisdom as to how to meet those needs. I pray that I will wake up every day choosing to prefer my brothers and sisters, choosing to start fresh forgiving the things of yesterday and seeking their interest above my own. I pray that I will practice patience, seek first to understand, and truly listen before speaking. I pray that I will build up our community with life affirming words and encouragement of their gifting. Please pray with me for our Shekinah community to reflect Christ through the harmony and unity of the Spirit.
