"Community" seems to be a buzz word in Christian circles. There's this whole sense of building a unified community, deepening community, etc. Entering CIU I questioned what community is, what it looks like, and what it means. Now, I have come to the place where I think I want greater fellowship, not a better community (though with greater, deeper fellowship I think a better community will emerge).
The reason for this is I believe that community is a secular concept describing a group of people who have come together for a common goal. They are united by some way or force. Great. So if you're in seminary - or go to a church group, belong to an interest group, etc. - you're in a community. Period. In seminary it's supposed to feel different because we're all Christians. But I think where we are now and with the wide way the term community can be applied it is not very helpful in describing how Christians should join together - what that should look like or how it should feel.
Fellowship, however, has (in my opinion) more biblical roots (see Acts 2:42). I think the term "fellowship" has gone out of style because so often it was associated with coffee time before or after church where what really happened was gossip, so that doesn't really apply to one's life. That, according to J. I. Packer is anything BUT fellowship. Packer shares his view of fellowship and the blessing it can (and should) be - it is a means of grace whereby one's soul can be refreshed; it is a test of life where one is opening one's heart to another Christian (this is important! Fellowship is not simply being together, it is also the ability to open one's heart to another and share honestly); and it is a gift of God "which has as its motive love to our brothers in Christ as an expression of our love to the Lord and which involves real openness with each other and real reliance on each other - that kind of fellowship comes only as God's gift in and through the Holy Spirit." So in that, it is not self-seeking; it has the good of others in mind!
I feel there is great longing for fellowship and yes, this can happen more in a Christian community. To have true fellowship takes opening our hearts to our brothers and sisters in Christ - being real and vulnerable about what's going on. To do this, one must first be real and vulnerable with God, so that you can then be real and vulnerable with those around you.
My hope and prayer is that our deepen fellowship with God will result in deeper fellowship with one another.
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