My brain's been stuck on the thoughts of community life for a few weeks now. Part of me feels strongly that God is continuing to stur up these kinds of feelings/desires/thoughts just as He did before we moved to Edmond. The problem is - I don't know where to start. I have this desire to grow deeper in my faith through community, but I'm not sure I totally understand what community really is. It is one of those 'buzzwords' that get thrown around in Christian circles (especially church circles) and alludes to many things - hanging out together over a pot-luck dinner at church, going through Bible study with a Sunday School class or small group, praying for one another, etc. I think it is these things and much more. Last week our house church began a new experiment, of sorts. We have grown to the point of really needing some smaller group time to get to know one another better. Our kids alone can total upwards of 15+ each week - which can make for interesting times together! Last Wednesday we were to meet at the church instead of someone's home. There we were going to split into two smaller groups to spend time growing together instead of being in our large group as it usually is. Andrea & I didn't go because we spent some time with Tim & Ruth & the girls, who were in town that evening. We ate dinner together then came back to our hot house to visit. Tim ran to the store for some odds & ends & brought back a couple of fans to help the heat situation upstairs. We congregated around our kitchen dinner table, which seemed to be the cool spot in our living area downstairs & talked about life in general. Much of it was simply conversation about things we had been experiencing in life. Woven in & out of the communication was testimony about how God had been a part of all of it. It was a good time.

The next day after the Belchers had left & we had an off night at home, I found myself thinking back at the night before & evaluating what had taken place. What I realized was that community had taken place. We had shared life together, encouraged each other, talked about the inflow of God into our everyday lives, suffered together (through the heat) & ministered to one another. We hadn't gone to "church" as much as we had been "church" naturally. This is the place I want to be at. I don't want to work at community - nor do I believe we could build community ourselves anyhow. Community life & faith is something that God pieces together & builds as He continues to build up His Bridge - the church. And I'm not talking about bricks & mortar here.

I'm not entirely sure that the church did itself a big favor when it began building the great cathedrals and began separating itself from natural, growing relationships with one another. I'm not saying that a bricks & mortar "church building" is bad - there are some advantages to this situation, even Bridgeway has a building they utilize. The danger & disadvantages of having such, however, are that we can become over dependent on the physical assets of the kingdom of God & ignore the greater spiritual & emotional assets of our relationships with one another. When the building rises above the relationships I think we need to do some serious reconsideration of where our hearts lie, and ultimately where our treasure lies in the Kingdom.

I have a feeling that growing in communal faith & life is going to be difficult - but equally rewarding. I believe that my spiritual life is going to grow to places it has never been as I humble myself & become vulnerable and grow in faith with others who are doing the same. My limited view of what community is while likely be shattered, as well, as God opens my eyes to faith among other followers of Jesus in ways that I have not known before. But, ultimately, that is what I long for - more of Him than I have ever known/experienced and a greater God than I have understood in the past. What a shame it would be to remain complacent instead of facing the scary notion of growing with others. I choose this life that God is pointing and prodding me in further into my journey with Him!