Living in Community
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).
Last month we kicked off our Soul Care Practices on the importance of rest. If you missed it, you can check it out here. This month, we've asked Andy Johnson, our new Missionary Care Director to talk about why we need others to walk alongside us in this crazy journey called life.
Keep reading to learn why God designed us for living in community and how good and pleasant it can be when done right.
Soul Care Practices :: Living in Community
David once wrote, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).
I would add, “But, boy, it’s rough when they don’t!”
I hope that those of you reading this have experienced the delight of sweet, sacred moments of fellowship, of communion, of family with brothers and sisters in Christ. I also imagine that most of us have also experienced moments when community failed us, when unity was not achieved, when you questioned whether or not this constant pursuit of togetherness is worth the hassle.
I can unequivocally say: It is!
I must confess that I was a late convert to the importance of community in mission work. As I headed to the field fresh out of the competitive environment of graduate school, I frankly considered team a necessary concession to getting to the field. I trusted my professors; they said every missionary needs a team; therefore, my bride and I joined one. Walking (sometimes stumbling) with those men and women through 13 years of international living, I learned a few things about how living in community is essential for soul care.
First, submission is good for the soul. Our team committed to work and made decisions together; think more basketball than golf team. When confronted with a decision, we would together research, pray, and discuss options, ultimately deciding as a team what course we would take. This was a great system—right up to the first time the team decided on a course I didn’t agree with. The spiritual practice of submitting to the larger group shone a spotlight on the areas of my soul still too prideful, while eventually strengthening my faith in God’s people, as the group discernment proved the right path pretty much every time.
Second—and this is actually a big part of being able to do number one—choose to trust. Assume good motives and intentions. Within a community, you can have all manner of vigorous conversations about methods, strategies, goals, etc., provided you are able to trust that each member of the community has the Kingdom’s best interest at heart. Choosing to trust is the only way a community ever gets anything done with excellence, whether in finishing a task or in caring for each other’s wellbeing.
Third, God may choose to work through my weakness using someone else’s strength. We Americans have grown up in a culture of acquisition: If someone else has it, I ought to get it. Public transportation doesn’t do well here (I want my car!), and public libraries are closing all the time (if it’s worth reading, it’s worth owning!).
This mentality seeps into our view of spiritual gifts. If we see a gift given by the Spirit to another, we assume that we need it, too. The reality is that God is honored in our weakness, and one of the ways He accomplishes that is through making others strong while keeping us weak. Living in a close community with men and women gifted in ways I was not, taught my soul a little better how to delight in my weaknesses in order to reveal His strength through my teammates.
Fourth, virtually every spiritual practice is better in community. It’s not very effective to be accountable to yourself. Harmony in worship is hard to pull off solo. The Lord’s Prayer is just full of plural pronouns. Rejoicing with those who rejoice is way more fun when it’s not just you. And mourning with those who mourn is also better together. The writers of Scripture seemed to have envisioned primarily (if not only) a faith lived out and flourishing in community. Yes, I can love God by myself, but it’s awfully hard to love others without any others around! And that’s what a hurting world needs.
Fifth, empty pitchers cannot be poured out. In his book, Spiritual Care, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
Mutual help in ministry is taken for granted. But we need more; we need another to care for our soul. Everyone who cares for the soul needs a person who will care for his or her soul. Only one who has been under spiritual care is able to exercise spiritual care.
No one can serve effectively or for any period of time from a position of emptiness. It is in community that we can be filled—in order that we might be poured out once more.
Finally, before closing—a word to those who find themselves lonely. Not all of you reading this have the blessing of a team or a close community of believers. You very much feel on an island, on an outpost surrounded by the enemy. My word to you would be to embrace this and to turn it over to God for Him to use for His glory. God works through lonely people, often to use His servants to bless others even more lonely than they. In so doing, you might even look up to discover that He has planted you in a community while you weren’t looking.
All of these communities, of course, are appetizers. There is a Great Day coming when we will feast with the Lamb, in perfect community with our triune God and all His children. Until that day, our souls are fed in part through the soul care practice of community.
Turns out, it is in fact good and pleasant when God’s people live together in unity.
Have more questions? Let us help you.
What’s New?
Missions Leaders Luncheon | November 21 | Ft. Worth, TX
If you are in the Ft. Worth/Arlington area, come collaborate with other missions leaders in the area. Andy Johnson, MRN’s Missionary Care and Prayer Director will walk you through how to build a culture of prayer in your church designed to pray for missionaries. (Complimentary meal included.)
Parents of Global Workers Retreat | January 10-11 | Dallas, TX
MRN and Pioneer Bible Translators are joining forces to put on our annual Parents of Global Workers Retreat in 2020. This exciting weekend will give you a better understanding of how to parent/grandparent the missionaries in your family as they live out their calling. You will have the opportunity to meet other parents, share stories, and encourage one another. The cost is only $30 and will cover your meals and materials. If you need helping booking your hotel at a special rate, please contact Mark Brazle.
Register Here