Community

So yesterday I went to our Covenant Community Group meeting. (Ok let me back up...Covenant Community Groups are basically small group bible studies that our church. It provides for a more intimate worship setting, question & answer, discussions, etc.) So I'm at the meeting & I get an even deeper understanding that community is very very important. I'm looking around I'm basically the only one without grey hair. Not basically. I am the only one without grey hair. Now I could look at this one of two ways. I could complain because I feel like I can't relate to these guys or I could appreciate the wisdom in the room.

Since I've been going to these CCG meeting I've noticed a few obstacles to building real community. Here's a few:

1. Lack of genuine dialogue.

I've noticed that sometimes people don't really open up about themselves & engage in "real" discussion. I think a part of this is due to the fact that  most of us don't really know each other well enough to start sharing struggles. This can result in super-spiritual talk that has everything to do with spiritual concepts but nothing to do with life application. The remedy: Fellowship outside of "church meetings". Real relationships require the investment of time. No time, no true relationships.

2. Getting hung up on other peoples quirks.

This one is a tough one for me. Sometimes people act a certain way that I'm really not used to seeing. I have to be mindful that people praise, worship, pray, communicate in a different ways. We've all been there so I'm not gonna spend a lot of time on this one. Let's just remember that ALL of us have quirks. Just as I'm adjusting to my group, they are adjusting to me. I also believe that God puts people around you for a reason. That reason is growth on everyone's part.

That's all for now. Pray for me and my family as we attempt to live out this concept of real community. Community is not just a good idea. It is a command from God & an evidence of the Spirit's work...especially when you're talking about multigenerational unity. I challenge you to strive for authentic unity too!

Jarrell