In response to (in)courage on Community...

Today's post on community struck a chord with me...someone who has always felt alone in the crowd: Wow! Really good! Thanks for sharing openly and honestly!! During my "18 years in the desert", I felt we HAD to be in community somewhere, with a job to do to keep whichever small church we went to going. Who would teach the toddlers? Or cook for the jr high kids after school? Since being delivered from the desert, and being lovingly placed here, we are in a big church...no a HUGE one...and although I've been given a ministry to head up there, when it comes to time for church service I think we wouldn't be missed...and perhaps we wouldn't, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT. The point is that when I sing worship, it's an offering to God. When I engage and apply a sermon to my life, I leave equipped for conversations with others the rest of the week. When I participate in tithing I am giving an offering and confirming that I trust God to work through our leaders to use my tithe for the equipping of community. (ok, honestly, we give online, so we don't have to be there...but you get my point.) and in our denomination of "independent Christian Churches", we share in communion each week, and I would miss this opportunity to partake of bread and juice, deep reflection, confession, and repentance. So although it's "not about me", it's for my benefit....and ultimately for my growth, to honor and serve Him, to make my life an offering...