The Importance of Community

On Wednesday, our local clergy got together for a time of lunch, discussion, and prayer.

One of the things that came out of this time together, and there were a lot, was a passing comment as we were closing our time together.  Pastor Ken of the Alfred Station 7th Day Baptist Church was talking about how we are very independent in our thinking of salvation.  We go to heaven, or not go heaven, based on our individual relationship with Christ.  That's the evangelical thinking.

Pastor Ken spoke of the Anabaptists in the 16th century and their view that we all go to heaven together.  They believed that as we have a desire that all go with us, we also have a responsibility to help those around us.  You could almost say, we go to heaven, or we don't go to heaven, as a community of faith.

The Anabaptists were the forerunners of the Amish and Mennonites today, and let's face it, when we think of the Amish or Mennonites, we think of their community, don't we.  They live in true community with one another.  Their firm belief that when one is down, they are all down, and all must work together to get back up.  The commands to "Love One Another" are taken very seriously and lived out in daily life.

As I was thinking about this, a verse in Hebrews was in my morning devotional reading...

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.  (Hebrews 3:12-14)

In other words, we share in Christ as a community, as we encourage each other daily in our spiritual walk. Is that a good understanding of the text?  Is that what you see?  Let me know - feel free to comment.

Let's walk together.  Let's go to heaven together.  And let's take as many others with us as we can - living in a true community of believers until that time comes.