Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. – Acts 2: 46-47

I have been thinking about the unique privilege of being actively involved in a faith-based community like HMPC here in Tarboro.

There is a growing trend – among people of all ages – to disconnect themselves from a more focused commitment to and investment in church. And while I understand many of the reasons people cite, the net result is always the same – it’s significant loss on both sides of the equation. In other words, we are all better off in community.

Fact is, we were specifically designed by The Creator for community, for relationship with other people. Then, through Jesus, The Church was called into being. The Church is described in the New Testament as “The Bride of Christ” – a community in relationship with Jesus.

I think we miss the point when we say things like “my church is the true church and yours isn’t;” or, “that church is wrong;” or, “your church has lost its way.” The real point is that we all stand in need of reconciliation with God and with one another. And, flawed though all congregations are, God’s plan is at work in and through The Church.

The real point is that we all stand in need of reconciliation with God and with one another. And, flawed though all congregations are, God’s plan is at work in and through The Church.

Put another way, we are not called to be perfect we are called to be faithful, and we are called to be faithful in the context of community.

If we (that’s me, and also you) abandon our connection and our commitment to a local church then we lose so much… and, intentionally or not, we cause so much:

• We lose the beauty of faithfulness;
• We cause our children to be cut off from the community God intends for them (and likely set their course away from faith for life);
• We abandon deep and encouraging relationships rooted in care and faith and belief and mutual love;
• We lose the renewing and inspirational and strengthening experience of public worship;
• We lose the teaching and the encouragement of preachers who know us and love us;
• We separate ourselves from mission initiatives that directly impact hunger, injustice, poverty, crime, family crisis and so much more;
• We make a public statement that we do not believe in the mission of Jesus (which is to invite humankind home again and to join in his initiatives of love and reconciliation and mercy and grace and justice and light through the work of his church);
• We in fact encourage a future where our community has no active church;
• We – in many ways – shoot ourselves in the foot….

This just in from Acts Chapter Two: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42)…

I am not saying that we need to be in lockstep agreement with everything the preacher teaches: we’re all wrong much of the time and that is never going to change. But I am saying it’s a great idea to be faithful to God’s purpose for you and your family; I am saying that, for all its flaws, your local church is where you need to be; and I am saying that we are all impoverished, both those inside and those outside the church, when we are not involved and committed and present in the worship and work of our local congregation.

Me? I’m kind of partial to Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church here in Tarboro.

Want to make America even more great? Here’s where to start – DEREK