Konexions

Connected. Connect. Connectivity.

How often do we connect and how well do we do in this area as believers?

During my time in Asia I experienced a connection to and with other believers that gave me an incredible, realized experience into what it means to be in community with the body of Christ, the living people of God. I experienced this for several reasons.

One, Asians are not as individualized as Americans are. They do not function socially as independently as we do in the USA. This enabled me to see scripture (which by the way was written by men whose thoughts are more Asian than American) in a different way.

Two, I was a minority and so I embraced my family of believers because it was necessary to do so as a minority in a culture in which I was not a native. Many American Christians do not experience either of these two reasons and as a result live less than a lived-out, full-gospel life.

One of our big problems in the USA is we often think of life as an individual. We make our own decisions and we are sovereign in our own lives. Whose to tell us what to do? Even our belief in Christ becomes a privatized experience. We assemble together with other believers when we want.

We sovereignly decide how committed we are going to be to the body of Christ Jesus.

Sure, we are saved by Christ and have "joined" His people but we are not willing to make a full commitment to these people. Our commitment remains less than complete.

This individualization of our faith also impacts our witness and effectively makes us impotent as Christians impacting our culture. When we encounter unbelievers we have so privatized our beliefs that we end up not being a witness at all. We don't speak. The individualization of American Christianity is a pox on the Church. It is a "private" experience with God and does not belong in the public realm where it should often be expressed.

We accept Jesus as Lord in theory but overlook the fact that scripture is crystal clear that God is saving a PEOPLE who are called out. Yes He calls us as individuals but He calls us into community with one another.

We are a Body. A Family. Love, real love requires that we move from our individualized Christian lifestyles into a corporate experience of community in Christ. In short, we need to get connected with one another.

I have found that many of the biggest communication problems I have faced in the church have been due to a lack of community. Its no coincidence that communication and community have a common root. Community/communicate/commune...all three words bear shades of a reality in which we experience God and one another.

Its not the fault of church leadership that many members in the church do not get the message the church seeks to proclaim. How many times have I been confronted by angry church members who do not have a clue as to what the church is doing?

Why wasn't I told? When was the decision made? Who authorized it? and so on. As a pastor I cant tell you how many times I have been challenged and second-guessed by irate members on the fringes of church life who refuse to maintain deep, intimate KONEXIONS with the larger body of Christ.

They distance themselves and then blame the Church for the pain they experience from being cut off.

Well were you at the service last Sunday dear church member? Are you in a small group dear church member? Do you check your emails dear church member? Did you read the latest copy of the Newsletter dear church member? No. No. No. No.

As men and women, families with children, single people, widows and divorcees, we are called to live a common life in community with our God and each other. This is not optional.

This means that I give up some things dear to me in order to be part of this community. I give up my Wed. night Karaoke singing in order to commit to a small group in prayer and Bible study and fellowship. I give up my Friday night Roller Derby. Although I was looking forward to watching PBS all day on that day I opt instead to gather together with other believers and worship the triune God who delivered me.

But Pastor, I would rather take a drive on Sundays instead of assemble with believers. My car has a switch in it that heats up my leather seats and keeps my butt warm and I am fascinated by it. Its truly bewitching pastor. Honest. I am pleading with you. Give it up man!

This is serious business. It means I give up the Superbowl in order to worship the living God with my family on that day. It means I understand that there are things which are temporary like piano class, knitting, basketball games, television shows, kitchen remodels and so on. It means I know I am a member of the family of the Living God and my family happens to be having reunions at certain times on certain days of the week. I am connected to them. I am in community with them.

I want to encourage you to re-think and re-imagine your life as a Christian around Jesus who is the Messiah. In doing that my hope is that you will re-commit and re-connect to your family.

Get the message? Are you Konnected?

Love y'all.

Pastor C.