Belonging

My wife received a message the other day from an old friend. This friend had noticed some comments made on social media that piqued her curiosity. These are her words: "Your church sounds like more of a family. I've never been to a church that felt like family. Ever."

If you believe that sounds like a sad commentary on the church, you would be correct. The idea that we could spend at least one day a week with the same people, worship with them, pray with them, and then leave a building feeling just as disconnected as the moment we stepped inside is beyond my comprehension. This may be due to the size of a particular church. It could be as simple as a preoccupation with self. Regardless of the reasons, the truth is that this should be the place (and the people) where this person feels as though they truly belong.

I'm not saying that our particular fellowship has gotten this right 100% of the time. In fact, I'm sure that we haven't. But for those who continually come, and those who continue to stay, it is my hope that it feels like family. That they will discover a connection with the people around them. That they will feel at home.

How easily we forget the admonition of Romans 12:5, "...we are many parts of one body and we all BELONG to each other." It's verses like this that remind me that you cannot have church by yourself. You may be able to worship. You can pray. You can study the Scriptures. But the church is a people. A lot of people. People who have chosen to gather together because of one singular similarity: Jesus. We may have a ton of differences, but Jesus brings us all together.

Belonging is a powerful thing. We cannot overemphasize it. The other day my brother was sending me quotes from a book that he was reading. The author was a Jewish Rabbi, and many of the things that he said resonated deep within my spirit. Why is this important? It's important because our faith has deep Jewish roots. Here's one of his quotes talking about being Jewish: "You may not agree with each other, but you know that you belong to each other...It is less about believing and more about belonging. It is less about what we ow GOD and more about what we ow each other, because we believe GOD cares more about how we treat each other than HE does about our theology."

WHAT?
That's right! According to this Rabbi, Belonging to one another is more important than believing the same things.
A mindset that is so lacking in the Western Church. We have grown so accustomed to thinking that people only belong to us when they believe the same things that we do. We have our denominations and you must fit into them. We have lost any concept of the universal church. Disregarded the validity of other believers because they aren't Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, etc. We have forgotten WHO truly unites us. Our Redeemer. Our Savior. Our Lord. Jesus Christ. We are His Body. And each of us belong to one another.

All I am asking is that we at least recapture His vision. That we see beyond the things that separate us and focus upon that which truly brings unity. HIM! And as we learn to focus upon Him, we will learn how to see one another. We will find that community comes much more natural. We will begin to live as family. And give something to the world that they can believe in.

I realize that I probably talk about unity and family in this blog as much as I do grace. But I believe in it. I believe that we were meant to share life together. To see one another completely. To have open hearts towards one another. To love unconditionally. To belong.

May it never be said of any fellowship that it never felt like family.
May we learn what it means to be one.

The journey continues...