What an incredible joy to be a part of a local church where God's love and grace reaches a crescendo in the everyday lives of people. As we continued the theme of Thanksgiving this past Sunday, it was wonderful to hear so many people express (both corporately and individually) how thankful they are for others in the church who have cared for them and loved them during difficult times in their life over the past year.
Besides providing encouragement to the entire church Body, it served as a vivid reminder that we as humans were created to function as part of a community. All the way back in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 when God created the earth and everything in it, He proclaimed everything to be "good" except for one thing. He said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." (Gen. 2:18) God designed us to need each other.
We all have needs that can only be met when we are experiencing true community. Why do you think Starbucks and other coffee shops have been so successful? No, it's not because people love spending $5 bucks for a venti, double, mocha, extra hot, vanilla, latte. As Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, describes in his book, Pour Your Heart into It, “People didn’t know they needed a safe, comfortable, neighborhood gathering place. They didn’t know they would like Italian espresso drinks. But when we gave it to them, the fervor of their response overwhelmed us.” The local coffee shop in some small way satisfies our longing to be a part of a caring community that can share in our burdens, share in our life. Unfortunately, the "community" offered at the local coffee shop is nothing more than a counterfeit of the local church. Even more unfortunate is the fact that if the local church was doing its job, there would be no need for the counterfeit coffee shop "community."
Even as the many expressions of thanksgiving echos in our ears; may those same echos spur us on toward love and good deeds. It must begin there if we as the Church are going to correctly represent Christ to the watching world. If Howard Schultz was overwhelmed by the response of people desiring to experience "community" in the coffee shop, imagine how people would respond to a local church who offered true acceptance, true hope, true love....true community! Ultimately, that God will be glorified through the impact and growth of His Church.
