The place God has chosen to display His glory is always within a covenant He makes with a community of people.
It seems like such a strange paradox that we live in the most inter-connected generation in the history of humanity (you can fill the world in on your every move, every time you go to the bathroom, and take photos of the potato skins you ate for dinner) yet despite this, sociologists tell us we are now also the most dis-connected generation in human history.
How exactly has this happened? I would suggest that one contributing factor is the emphasis on self. My life, my rights, my choices ... isn't this all about me?
This stands in stark contrast to what Scripture proclaims. The Bible is all about community; from the Garden to the City. God is a community and the place God has chosen to display His glory is always within a covenant He makes with a community of people. When Jesus commissioned His disciples He gave them a blueprint for His Church so vast, so marvellous and innovative, a living breathing expanding community that would permeate and transform the whole world.
The New Testament uses a specific word to describe this unique relationship between believers; ‘Koinonia’. Nineteen different times it is used and on each occasion it refers to this unique and special relationship. We don't have one word in English that fully encapsulates its meaning, but it could be translated: friendship, fellowship, community, partnership and much more. Koinonia is much deeper than pot-luck suppers, social activities, programs and services. It is a group of people deeply connected and committed to one another and partnering together to see the purposes of God released upon the Earth. The Lord’s desire is that we would become this unique company of people. We must return to Koinonia—but you can’t download it. There’s no app for it, and you can’t fake it.
Join us this month as we begin the year discovering from the Scriptures God’s heart for and the purpose of, true community.
Andrew