The Gospel community

Sometimes God hammers home lessons by simply putting it across our path at every turn. Yesterday lunch time I was involved in an interesting discussion about community and how the gospel at work in church communities is attractive to the outsider. Then in the afternoon as we looked at passages we had prepared a number of times the theme of community came out again and again. It is there in Colossians 2:1-5 which I am preparing for Sunday as Paul struggles with all Christ's energy for the community of grace at Colossae and warns them of dangers they face.

Then yesterday evening in another meeting community was again the focus as we looked at Acts 20 and Paul's parting words to the Ephesian elders warning them to protect the community of grace and love and shepherd the flock. Then ended the day by reading Isaiah 65 where the picture is of a redeemed community, of the gospel community fully realised.

This morning I read the following on Tim Chester's blog about the rhythms of a missional church and what it looks like in practice for them:

"B. We bless - Each week we aspire to bless others in our Christian community and local neighbourhood in word, action or gift at least three times.
L. We listen - Each week we aspire to listen to God, looking for him to guide us through his word and Spirit. And we listen to people around us to understand their stories and the story of our culture.
E. We eat - Each week we aspire to eat or have a drink with people outside our immediate family at least three times, offering friendship and community.
S. We speak -Each week we aspire to tell people the story of Jesus and our story of Jesus, making Jesus a normal part of our conversations. And we speak to God through prayer, recognising our dependence on him in all things.
S. We sabbath - Each week we aspire to spend time in rest, praise, play, partying and creativity."

To say we live in a missional community as the church is to misunderstand and mis-speak. If we live in a missional community we only do so when we are in it. No, we are a missional community - whether we are gathered together corporately, on a small scale, or individually. But we need to be calling others to come and experience that community.

Next term we are going to try to hold at least one if not two or three 50:50 meals. Meals where we get friends together to share food and company, where we invite friends we love who know Jesus to spend time with friends we love who don't know Jesus. Why? Because as people see the gospel at work in our relationships they will see what a difference the cross makes and that we are not just odd and alone, but that Christ is the answer to every ones need.