The Abundance of Community
Good Morning Friends,
There is friction between the ways of measuring community and our need for strategic information that goes beyond traditional economic considerations. Gross Domestic Product, the unemployment rate, the consumer price index and measures of debt and health are the key indicators but our focus on them is limiting our vision to the icing on the cake completely ignoring what makes for the cake itself. There is such a divergence between our reported existence and reality as we engage the issues of sustainability and crisis and community building. Today we look at Bible stories as they relate to assets used in building community. Like layers of a cake they demonstrate that the foundation of community is built on what came before. The story of the Widow’s offering and the story of the feeding of the 5,000. They both in different ways reflect The Abundance of Community.
Scripture: When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late;
send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
Mark 6:35-44 (NRSV)
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41-44 (NRSV)
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”
Matthew 9:37 (NIV)
Message: It is interesting that 70% of the world’s poor live in rural areas and though people are moving to cities and are generally more happy there, the vast majority of people who are deeply happy live in rural areas. There is much to learn. The Bible speaks to us of community in many ways, including how we treat each other, the need for workers, helping the poor and loving and helping each other. All this is so important in being effective in building community. Some people like to take credit for what they have done and for who they are. They are the icing people. They have arrived at where they are by good choices and abilities. They did it, not anyone else. They have image but not substance. They don’t have to thank God, because they did it themselves. This is short sighted. If we are not mindful of the full process we end up with empty cities like in China or we end up thinking we have done something when we have not. The foundation of community building is, I believe, built on something that we often miss… a legacy of hospitality and generosity through grace. Here we strive to build on a history of faithful living by focusing on the call we have to connect members of the Body of Christ to bring healing through growth of community, discipleship, service and stewardship. I invite you to consider these four areas of growth for they are relevant for churches, communities and cities throughout the world. Meditate now as we pray in partnership with God and one another having been given abundance and daily blessings.
Pray we recognize the unique assets that the communities in which we live provide. Pray we realize that economic markets do not meet all my needs. Pray we become more effective community builders. Pray we begin to address society’s problem with consumerism. Pray we be thankful for the simple things in life. Pray we be thankful for the things we think we have earned. Pray we reclaim the authority to solve our own problems locally when we can for in doing so we discover joy. Pray we show hospitality to strangers for sometimes we will entertain angels. Pray we get wisdom for it is better than gold and silver. Pray we live in love for when we do we live in God. Pray we work hard for when we do God is with us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 