Christian Community

A few years ago, I attended a church luncheon. Because I don’t eat meat, I had asked for a vegetarian meal prior to the event. When I arrived at the luncheon, I realized that my request had not made it to the person in charge of ordering the food. I could eat the macaroni and cheese but nothing else. 

I found a seat at a table with three people I didn’t know well. We were all relatively new members to the church. In fact, that was the purpose of the gathering — for new members to get to know one another. I don’t remember all the details, but I must have told them about my predicament because each person at the table offered me the small container of macaroni and cheese that had come with their lunch. 

I was grateful for their kindness. However, the full significance of their gesture did not strike me until several months later during another meal with friends. At one point in the conversation someone asked me, What is one of the most nourishing meals that you have ever eaten and why? And that’s when I thought of the macaroni and cheese at the church lunch. 

I had been struggling to find a church community where I felt at home. I was looking for a place to belong, a place that could use my gifts, and a place that would challenge me and support my spiritual growth — a part of my life that was becoming increasingly stagnant. It was a painful and confusing search, and I had often thought about just giving up. And that’s when I stumbled into this community. 

I have read many meditations over the years that tell stories of how Christian communities have met the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people in amazing ways — stories that are much more compelling than the one I am telling you, stories that required more sacrifice, more courage, and more risk. But the value of a gift is not only in what it costs the giver but also in what it means to the receiver. 

If you were to ask me why we need Christian community, my answer would probably change depending on the day. And that’s because our spiritual needs change as life changes. Some days we need encouragement and others we need people with whom to share our joy or feel valued for the contributions we are making to the world. We need people around us when doubts kick in or illness comes. And we need them there when we are aching to be seen and to feel a sense of belonging. 

Whether they intended it or not, my table companions helped me see that I had found what I was looking for — a group of people attentive to the needs of others. And it was also a simple lesson about why we need one another. God reaches us through others. My physical need that day was minor in the scheme of things, but there was something much deeper at work that had nothing to do with food or biological hunger. I tend to think that if we are looking for a sign, we will eventually find it. And that says more about God than it does about us. This was the first of many signs letting me know that I had found my community.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Why do you think Christian community is important? Describe a time when you have seen the value of Christian community.
2. When has a small act of hospitality made you feel welcome? How did this experience change the way you show hospitality to others?
3. When have you felt most spiritually nourished? In what ways can you offer spiritual nourishment to others?