You live in an extremely individualistic culture. Do you hold your faith in the same way? You can find theology to support this, but throughout history cultures have had a stronger sense of community and those that were Christian have found support for this in the Bible too. So has modern culture imposed individualism on the church? If so, is the church better off for it? In ancient times did I deal with Israel as a collection of individuals or as a people? In the New Testament do I describe my people collectively as a body, and people as members that comprise it?

How do you view the doctrines of your faith? Do you see them as propositional truth claims that you must assent to for salvation? Do you see them as anything else? Do they express things that you wouldn’t accept as true in any other context? Is anything necessary beyond an affirmation that they are true? The founders of the faith had no doctrines, but they had encounters with me. Have you? I don’t want you to think of doctrine as a way to avoid encounter with me. Instead I want you to see it as an invitation to encounter me. I want you to see it as an open door. Come on in.

The Great Commission I have given you involves sharing my message with others, and hopefully introducing them to me. You know that they can’t see me directly, so they have to see me in you. Do you understand that this carries more weight than all the doctrines and scripture verses and apologetic defense of truth claims you could make? If your audience doesn’t see anything desirable in you why would they respond to your message? What is it about you that would attract people to me? Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify me.

Have you heard the saying that you are known by the company you keep? There is an underlying truth that you will tend to associate with like-minded people, but there is a stronger version of the same concept. You can keep company with people with whom you are not in community. Community is a stronger concept that implies more than casual association. Community includes relationship, a support network, common purpose and a deeper sense of belonging. Community involves commitment.