Community is defined as a group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists. OK I can live with that. Community represents togetherness, sharing, joint participation. So when we use this word and associate it with a church body some things change. For example, within the church there is Love, Forgiveness, Grace, Mercy. You might not find these things in another type community but in a church community you would....or I should say you should.
Here is the problem. When a group of people want you to belong to the "community", yet they lay burdens and restrictions on you that are not realistic or are a double standard. Jesus talked about how the religious leaders of the day would bind heavy burdens and unrealistic expectations on the people and NEVER do anything THEMSELVES to help the people. Does this still happen today? My experiences say YES it does...sadly but it does.
Leaders seem to want to limit the way and when you share what God has given you...really is that what church is about? I heard a sermon the other week that talked about using your gift for the whole body. That you were given a gift from God to help the body, lift it up and even that the body suffers when you do not use that God given gift. And yet I have seen Leaders tell people that their gift is not to be used "right now" that there are restrictions and conditions that need to be meet before they can use that gift "for the body"....Really?? Does that even sound right...or realistic or does that even sound like a community that you would want to be a part of?
May God forgive use when we have higher standards for others than he has for us.
Peace.
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