We Get to Carry Each Other

Our homegroup series at the moment is studying the Lord's Prayer, and we're doing it in detail - a line at a time kind of detail. Last night we were looking at the line, "Give us this day our daily bread", which I thought was a useful and very helpful topic for me, given that I'm currently in the process of preparing the church budget for next year.

A lot of interesting things came out of our discussions, thinking about our needs as opposed to our wants, about provision for the "day" ahead,  thinking about trusting in our God who provides, not worrying overly about the future. But one thing, one detail stood out for me, more than any other, and that was just one word, the shortest word on the line, which is "us".

Because, even though we are told to pray this prayer in secret, behind closed doors this is a prayer about community. Whether the line "Give us this day our daily bread" is a request, or a confident statement of truth about our provider God, it is a communal statement. God's provision, as with all his promises, is worked out in our lives, as we live them as worshipping, praying communities, not as we act as disconnected, self-reliant individuals.

Will God provide all my needs - yes, I believe he will. Will he provide for everything directly, supernaturally to me? No, not necessarily - he may provide through someone else, in my church, in my family, amongst my friends. 

And when he does provide something directly to me, then what does that mean? Surely it means I have an obligation to share it - whether it is money, time, a gift or a talent, or anything else that the Almighty, awesome God choses to give to me, because he doesn't give it for my glory, but so that, through me, acting, living, working in my communities, he will be glorified.

What does this mean for me, as I work on and discuss the church budget with the Finance Team tonight.... I'm not 100% sure, yet, but I'm convinced its relevant. And as I work out my everyday life, well then it could just be life-changing...

Here's Where We Gotta Be, Love and Community

Recently I had the great privilege of leading a time of devotions for the deacons at our church... and the subject I chose, or rather the subject I felt led to was unity. I was led to a passage in 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul talks about the importance of unity amongst believers, the importance of being a community of believers together, not a bunch of scattered individuals living individual lives.

Sometimes I think that the evangelical church as a whole has lost the importance of community. For as long as I can remember, the evengelical churches I have been involved in have stressed the importance of our "individual, personal relationships with the Living God" - and don't get me wrong, having that personal relationship is important, vital even, in our faith. But, as we recognise that our faith, our salvation, is not something we achieve through adherence to rules and regulations, we reject any rules and regulations as legalism, declare them irrelevant because we are saved by our faith, not be our works, and give ourselves licence to decide for ourselves how to interpret God's rules and regulations in our own lives. And that means a bunch of Christians, believers all, but all living by different rules, different regulations, different guidelines, if any at all. 

The problem with that is, we are clearly called to be a community together, a people, God's people - not just a bunch of loosely connected individuals. And for community to work, people need to be able to live and work in harmony - and that means a shared understanding of the "rules" - a clear acceptance of authority from those called to lead, and a desire to to the right thing by the community - not because our salvation depends on it, but because it is the right way to live. 

More than that, we are called to be a community which includes God - we are called to have a relationship with Him, not just as individuals, but as a gathered people. And that means we have to live, not just by rules accepted collectively, but by His rules, His ways, His laws.

Of course there will sometimes be tensions - there always are in any community. And sometimes there will be hurt and pain because of that - but if we were all to stop trying to have our way, trying to understand our Christianity in light of ourselves, and instead focus on being God's gathered community, then wouldn't those tensions be less, those pains easier to bear?