Over the years we have shifted from defining our community as the area we live to the people we spend most of our time with. We have our communities of friends, family, co-workers, church family, and online social circles. However, are we truly living in community with those groups we have established? How should we define community, and what does living in community really look like?
The ecclesiastical definition of community is
a group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.
We can throw all of our circles into the different categories of our lives by what we share in common. However, when we are considering what living in community looks like, I think the part to focus on is “according to a rule.”
When I think of living in community, I think of simply living life together. But let’s note that life is more than social engagements. Life is hard and messy, not just fun and laughter. Life is real.
Living life together means we live it all together.
I have a group of friends that for 4 years we lived real life together. The ups and downs of being wives, mothers, friends, and sisters in Christ. We saw each other through the joys and the sorrows. We lived life together on a daily basis until I moved away.
Without us verbalizing it, we did have a rule. Love our families, love each other, and love Jesus. When I look back at all we did together, everything revolved around those three things. Back then, I didn’t realize how we were truly living in community.
So, what does living in community look like?
It looks a lot like the early church.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42
We can look to these believers as our examples of what living in community looks like.
They lived a common life together according to a rule.
As they gathered together daily they devoted themselves to learning more about Jesus’ teachings, growing together in their faith, and worshiping together.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Acts 2:44-45
These believers also came together to take care of those in need. To provide for others as Jesus had instructed them.
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
They learned together, they loved together, they ate together, and they prayed together.
Everything they did, they did with hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving.
They lived their lives together in community according to a rule. The rule of following the example and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Today we can also come together living our lives in community learning, loving, eating, and praying together.
Living life together.
Pin for Later
Your friends must really miss you! That would be so hard to leave a tight-knit community like that. “Community” can sometimes be a buzzword, but your description takes it much deeper than just hanging out together. I’m praying I’ll find or create a real community in my new town also!
Yes, I miss them deeply. Thankfully we are able to get together once a year for a few hours while my husband is at a conference. We just pick up where we left off. 🙂 Building community has to be somewhat intentional, especially in our busy lives of today. I also pray that you will be able to create that for you and your family in your place.