Those Christians...

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is 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 4:1-6 NIV)

Christians have been taking a lot of heat lately for being ugly... judgmental, hatefilled, elitist, etc.  Unfortunately, a lot of it is deserved and ALL of us must take our share of the blame for the image of the church and keep on working to make it all Christ means for it to be.

I wish those that are so ready to criticize would also speak up when we get it right, though.  And we do get it right pretty often!  The Church is great at being community.  There are many needs and issues that draw us together in a special way.  We forget our differences and we join hands across denomintions.  We work together and love together and we see Chrisitanity at its best.  It is at times like these that I am so proud to say I am a Christian.

I've seen community at work a lot lately.  People undergoing chemo, a young man with a spinal cord injury, wedding celebrations, baby showers... in both sorrow and joy, community coming together makes the sorrow easier to bear and the joys more abundant.  

Christian community doesn't always begin within the wall of the church either.  It often springs up through other organizations but is moved by Christ-like people, drawing in Christians from all around.  This is Christian community at its very best.  It is people being Christian outside of Sunday worship, which is what we are meant to do.

A comment from someone whose loved one is being served by community:  "When we are at the hospital we see so many others who don't have this.  They are alone.  And while we are so grateful for all that is being done for us, it is hard to receive while so many have nothing."

I know what she means... I see it when people come through the church doors looking for help with rent or power bills or gas.  I can't help but wonder if their lives might be different if they had their own Christian community instead of trying to reach into one and just pull out what they want.

We do this one thing so well.  Perhaps it is time to use it to reach out to those who don't have a church community.  Maybe we need to go beyond our own and draw people in with our love.  It doesn't have to start within our church walls.  It just needs to start with Christ-minded people.  It just needs to start with love.  And it doesn't have to include preaching or prosletizing.  Real love preaches itself.

Wouldn't it be awesome to hear on the news:  "Those Christians are at it again... loving people that don't even go to their church!"

Father, 

Thank you for the gift of community.  Help us to spread the gift.  Amen.

Joys: A truly amazing turnout of kids for book bag blessings!; Fun with Cecelia at Adam's Armor event; And more fun with Cecelia at rally day.