We opened up at discussion this past weekend at Merge as we dream about taking the leap as a body of believers from going from being a group of people to a family of believers. What is interesting is that a group can do some really neat things because it is usually assembled with like-minded people who enjoy doing things together. They can get together and influence other people lives and have moments where when they talk about them later in life, it brings warm feelings and a smile to their faces.
But a family can offer all that and then more. A family can add intimacy and security that a group is not able to. A family can provide a safe place to dream and a soft place to land. A family can make the difference in you having dreams and achieving them.
When it comes to the church I am left wondering if we have settled for being a group but try to wear the label of family. I wonder how many of us are truly living in Biblical Community and how many are attending a service where a collection of people assemble, ingest information and never take the risk to get to know one another.
When a church is a GROUP it can be a nice addition to the community. It can meet some needs and provide a face lift in an otherwise dark area. But when a church becomes a family changed by Jesus, I believe it becomes a revolutionary force that can change the world.
What we must decide is who we want to be and if being a group is suffice then we need to confess to God that we are not willing to be the people He has called us to be and the people Jesus died for. At least this way we are not deceiving ourselves.
But if we decide to be a family then we must take the risk on one another, to love one another, to get knee deep in one another's lives and allow God to change the world by bringing us together as an unstoppable force.
At least that what I am thinking about right now.
Heart and Soul,
BAG
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