A Broken And Restored Community

BROKENNESS IS REALIZATION THAT LIFE IS TOO MUCH FOR US, NOT JUST BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH PAIN BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE’RE TOO SELFISH!

BROKENNESS IS REALIZING ALMIGHTY GOD IS ALL WE HAVE! HOPE IS REALIZING GOD IS ALL WE NEED! JOY IS REALIZING GOD IS ALL WE WANT.

IMAGINE IF WE WOULD ALL TAKE THIS TO HEART IN OUR LIVES TODAY. SEEKING AFTER HOPE AND JOY WITHIN THE CHURCH WE CALL OUR "COMMUNITY."

A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE SEEKS THE BEST FOR THE OTHER BEFORE SEEKING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ONES OWN SELF. BEING HUMBLE, LOVING ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST LOVES US? IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE?

THEN WHY, WHEN WE GATHER TO WORSHIP, DO WE SOMEHOW MANAGE TO KEEP OUR SOULS TO OURSELVES? YES, WE MEET EACH OTHER PHYSICALLY BY SHAKING HANDS AND SAYING "GOOD MORNING," BUT WE CAN SOMETIMES DO THIS SO MECHANCIALLY THAT WE DO IT WITHOUT GIVING OR RECEIVING ANYTHING TRULY SPIRITUAL WHICH IS WHAT WE REALLY NEEDED AND WANTED MOST OF ALL.

WHEN WE MEET AND GREET EACH OTHER SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY AND SERVICE AFTER SERVICE, WE MUST REALIZE THAT IT IS MORE THAN JUST MAKING CONVERSATION, BUT IT IS OUR WAY OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

IT IS OUR WAY OF GETTING CAUGHT UP IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE. IT IS GETTING SWEPT UP INTO THE WORLD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHERE FIRST THINGS ARE FIRST AND SECOND THINGS ARE SECOND.

A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS WHERE WE EXPERIENCE A KIND OF ONENESS THAT MAKES US AWARE OF WHAT’S BEST INSIDE US AND OF ALL THE BAD STUFF THAT BLOCKS THOSE THINGS THAT ARE “BEST” FROM BEING RELEASE.

HEBREWS 10:25, "LET US NOT GIVE UP MEETING TOGETHER, AS SOME ARE IN THE HABIT OF DOING, BUT LET US ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER - AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING."

WE CANNOT FORSAKE THE INVITATION TO GET TOGETHER AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. WE NEED EACH OTHER AND TO BE WITH EACH OTHER SO WE CAN SAY AND DO THINGS THAT WILL STIR A FLAME INTO A FIRE, TO AROUSE THE LIFE GOD’S SPIRIT HAS PLACED WITHIN EACH OF US.

THROUGH COMMUNITY AND MEETING TOGETHER WE CAN GO ON THROUGH DARK NIGHTS AND EVEN PLEASANT AND JOYFUL MORNINGS WITH OUR EYES FIXED ON UNSEEN REALITY. WE NEED EACH OTHER THAT MUCH!

WE NEED EACH OTHER BECAUSE WE ARE A BROKEN PEOPLE. BROKENNESS IS A CONDITION THAT IS ALWAYS THERE BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A BROKEN WORLD. BROKENNESS IS INSIDE US, BENEATH THE SURFACE, CAREFULLY HIDDEN FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN KEEP A FAÇADE IN PLACE!

BROKENNESS IS ONE OF THE KEY REASONS WHY WE NEED ONENESS AND COMMUNITY. THE CENTRAL TASK FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS TO CREATE A PLACE THAT IS SAFE ENOUGH FOR THE WALLS OF OUR LIFE TO BE TORN DOWN.

A PLACE SAFE ENOUGH FOR EACH OF US TO OWN AND REVEAL OUR BROKENNESS. ONLY THEN CAN THE POWER OF CONNECTING TO EACH OTHER REALLY DO ITS JOB. ONLY THEN CAN OUR COMMUNITY BE USED OF GOD TO RESTORE OUR SOULS THAT SO DESPERATELY NEED RESTORATION.

WE HAVE GOT TO STOP SEARCHING THE SHELVES FOR SELF-HELP BOOKS AND LOOKING FOR A BROCHURE THAT WILL GIVE US THE RIGHT SEMINAR TO ATTEND TO SORT EVERYTHING OUT AND MAKE EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR.

WE HAVE GOT TO START WHERE THE STARTING LINE IS MARKED. TOO MANY WANT TO SKIP A FEW STEPS OR READ A FEW CHAPTERS AHEAD OR DARINGLY START AT THE TOP. BUT WE CANNOT DO THAT. STARTING STARTS AT THE START!

WHERE IS THE STARTING LINE? WE START BY BECOMING A TRUE CHURCH! ALL ALONG WE HAVE BEEN AIMING FOR AN EARTHBOUND, THIS-WORLD VERSION OF THE BLESSED LIFE.

WE’VE BEEN COUNSELED, MEDICATED, RELIGIOUSLY ENTERTAINED AND INSPIRED, EXHORTED, DESTRACTED, AND FORMULA-DIRECTED LONG ENOUGH! WE’VE LOST OUR WHOLE FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL LIVING!

A TRUE CHURCH IS WHERE BROTHERS AND SISTERS PARTICIPATE WITH EACH OTHER SPIRITUALLY, ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL CONVERSTATIONS OF WORSHIP WITH GOD.

A TRUE CHURCH WHERE WE SHARE EACH OTHERS HUNGER BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO SENSE THE SPIRIT MOVING WITHIN US AS WE SPEAK.

A TRUE CHURCH WHERE OUR INTENTIONS ARE NOT ON FIGURING OUT HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE, BUT ON BEING WITH YOU WHEVER YOUR JOURNEY IN LIFE LEADS YOU.

A TRUE CHURCH WHERE YOU WANT TO KNOW AND BE KNOWN IN CONVERSATIONS THAT AREN’T REALLY ABOUT YOU OR ANYONE ESLSE BUT CHRIST! WE NEED A TRUE CHURCH THAT IS A SAFE PLACE FOR WEARY PILGRIMS.

WE NEED TO DIVE HEAD FIRST INTO THE UNMANAGEABLE, MESSY WORLD OF RELATIONSHIPS! RELATIONSHIPS THAT ADMIT FAILURES, IDENTIFIES THE TENSIONS, AND EXPLORES ALL THE SHORTCOMINGS.

WE NEED TO BECOME THE ANSWER TO OUR LORD’S PRAYER, THAT WE BECOME ONE THE WAY HE AND THE FATHER ARE ONE. IT’S TIME WE PAID WHATEVER PRICE MUST BE PAID TO BECOME PART OF THE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY RATHER THAN JUST A MUSTY OLD ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION!