We are not as strong as we think we are

We begin this week with a journey through the mission and madness of the community commonly known as the church.  I've spent the last 23 years loving and learning from what is biblically known as "the hope of the world".  I will admit that, on too many occasions, I am straining to discover any wisdom in Gods plan to use the church for something as monumental as this task.  More conversations than I care to admit have centered around my attempts to explain the "why" of being part of a church.  I have difficulty defending some of the absurdity and disconnect from what I feel must have been the original wisdom of the plan.  The question of "why" church has become even more personal in recent years as we have been laboring to establish this unique expression known as Common Table.  After more than 20 years in traditional ministry, no one knows the flaws and failures more intimately than I do ... And let's just say it out loud, unlike others, I don't have the convenient choice of just staying home on a whim.  I'm expected to be there.  Some would say that I'm paid to be there.  I can see the logic in that ... However, in my case, to stop there and assume that you know why a pastor type would be in church week after week, would fall short of the real truth.  It's very simple really.  The truth is that, when all of the obvious is stripped away, I need to be here.  The reality is, in the words of Rich Mullins, "we are not as strong as we think we are". We meaning the collective "we"... The "we"who want to wear the individual label of follower of Jesus, but not be tied down to the corporate gathering of a community.  It is the "we" who'd rather be the "I" ...as in the individual.
It's the spiritual equivalent of a 3 year old declaring that "I can do it myself".  Biblically and practically speaking, my experience is that we are indeed not as strong as we think we are.  Allow me to point out a few of these areas.  The first sign of trouble in someone's spiritual life is that they begin to disappear from community.  They isolate themselves.  Satan is described as one who prowls around, waiting to devour victims in the same way that other predators will go after those who are outside the safety of community.  The book of Hebrews encourages us to not give up gathering together because in community is where encouragement and life is found.  The book of Acts reveals the incredible power that manifests itself in community.  It is all about "we", for safety, for encouragement, for impact, for hope.
There is wisdom in Gods plan, ancient wisdom, from which we have much to learn.  I'm intending to lead us down that path over the next few weeks to discover how God intended us to be and the role that we have, collectively, in representing "the hope of the world".