During the spring and summer of 2020, we all experienced the effects of the COVID pandemic. Life was severely disrupted and many people lost loved ones.
It was during that same period that our church family underwent a significant change. We added many new members from our local community. People came out of seclusion and were hungry for community, desperate for meaningful connections, face to face.
But it seems that as COVID has receded into the review mirror of our lives, we have slipped into relational complacency. The smart phone and the streaming devices seem to have replaced the desire for healthy community.
Eternal Family
But what is a church community? Is it just a gathering of people who share a common belief?
Jesus made a rather shocking statement in Matthew 12, when his family tried to come and speak to him; “While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothersstood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:47-50.
Jesus seems so focused on the task at hand that he dishonors his own mother. But that would be in contravention of the 5th commandment from Exodus 20:12,
Jesus isn’t dishonoring his family; he is rather making a statement of reality. Jesus states that his family is whoever does the will of his Father in heaven. The invitation into the family is open to all who trust in Jesus for salvation (see Romans 10:13).
Jesus had a perfect eternal perspective. Family is important, but family is temporary. Marriage, the foundation of family, is only for this life. Jesus is pointing out that our church family is our eternal family.
Eternal Promise
Matthew 12, ties closely together with an encounter that Peter has with Jesus in Luke 18; “And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:28-30.
Jesus is not encouraging husbands to leave their wives for ministry, rather he is talking about sacrificing being with family for a short time for the sake of the kingdom. An example of this would be a short-term mission trip.
However, sometimes God calls families to leave their place of birth and go to another state or country, leaving behind family. But the promise is that there will be family wherever you go. There are believers who will become your family in this life as a blessing from the Lord. Debbie and I have certainly experienced this reality in our lives.
Broken Family
Despite the clear biblical call to community, many individuals today feel that merely watching an online service is sufficient for their spiritual needs.
I believe that there are two primary reasons for this way of thinking:
1. Without the Holy Spirit drawing us together in community, it will always require more effort than we have. If you are not saved, you don’t have the Holy Spirit’s presence living inside of you. As a result, you will have only limited affinity with believers.
2. In our Christian community, there is a general apathy and feeling of exhaustion which is a significant trait of our modern culture.
Sometimes exhaustion is legitimate because of travel, babies, sickness, working long hours or two or more jobs.
Saturated Minds
But more often our minds are exhausted. We are living in an age unlike any previous age, the information age. We have been inundated and numbed by entertainment, sport and social media to the point of practical physical paralysis.
Studies have shown that we are living in an exhausted and stressed age. People have no capacity for community, because they are emotionally drained.
When we spend time watching endless news feeds, social media and the like, we experience rapid emotional changes, and it has a residual and physical effect on our bodies.
The 24-hour cycle of conflicting information and the garbage of social media that you are subjected to daily will pollute your mind and slowly erode your love for the Lord and your love for His church. The Apostle Paul warned us about this in Romans 8:5–6.
The common buzzword today is “burnout”. People feeling exhausted, needing a break, and yes some people do. We do live in exhausting times. But I would propose that not everyone is exhausted because we are doing too much, rather it is a physical manifestation of overstimulated minds.
Healthy Habits
What are you feeding on?
Begin every day by asking the Spirit to take control of your mind and life. Read the Bible and let the Holy Spirit speak to you through the pages of God’s word.
Take a fast from your screens. Try looking up and around when waiting in line or at the doctor’s office. See people and engage with people. Pray for divine appointments and look for ways to serve others.
I challenge you to take an extended media break and use that time to read God’s word, a good book or simply waiting on the Lord.
Research has shown that one of the best ways to restore a tired mind is to get into nature.
Healthy Church
As the leadership team, we wanted to spend this summer encouraging growth and healthy community in our church family. In addition, we would love to see growth in our engagement with our local mission field in South Kansas City.
The challenge is for all of us, what is our calling as a church family and individually?
Step into community and join us this summer.