Sometimes I have a hard time writing my blog. It is not because I do not have a lot of ideas, but because I don’t have a lot of answers. I have a difficult time formulating a complete blog if I am not sure how it ends. Today I’m not sure how this blog ends, so this may only be a partial blog, but please keep reading.

I’m writing the ideas I’ve been having. I am hoping that you will have some conclusions for me. Maybe you, the reader may offer answers that will bring some conclusions to my scattered thoughts. Please add your comments or email me with your ideas. I would love to hear from you.

Lately, my mind has been mulling over ideas about community in the Body of Christ. These mental wanderings started because I have been uncomfortable about the lack of community I have felt. I’m not saying that there isn’t community; I’m just saying my experience is vastly different from the ideal I envision. Maybe my ideal is wrong.
What is God’s idea of the Body of Christ? How do we support and love one another today, right now, with all of the distractions and busyness we encounter? We are commanded to love the others in the Body of Christ. I think it is hard to love others when we don’t spend enough time together to know each other. I also think it is difficult to love when we don’t make efforts to communicate with each other. When we don’t share our lives or selves how does love grow?

I guess I should start at the beginning. Sin separated us from God. Jesus died to restore this relationship. Jesus has enabled us to commune with and enjoy God. Sin also separated us from one another. Jesus sacrifice also offers substantial healing to our relationships with others, so we can have real communion and enjoy one another. So why don’t we?

I was once in a church that provided insulation and paneling for an elderly lady because her house was unfinished and extremely cold in the winter. The church members didn’t only give money, they gave their time. Many people gathered to do the labor. It was a time of work but also a time of fellowship and communion. We spent time together, getting to know each other. We also served someone we loved, and we served God. We also ate together that day.

That was a time of fellowship and community. I felt as if I were a part of something more important and bigger than myself. I wonder where I can get involved in Christian community that serves, fellowships, works, and openly shares with one another. It is my heart’s desire to do life with others. It is too hard doing so much of it alone.

It feels to me like the Body of Christ often works as separate limbs and organs rather than a unified body. I think we would be seeing a greater impact on our families, communities, and countries if we could figure out how to cooperate and serve together as an integrated whole. I think we need more cohesiveness than the very loose bond that listening to the same sermon on Sunday provides. I think we need to do life together. But how?