Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25
Here is the verse many a professional career minister will use to manipulate people to attend their ‘services’. Yet our American western style of ‘Church service’ is often nothing more than a polished ‘entertainment’ / theater-like gathering / experience. File in – 3 songs blasted loudly with a light show (Mainly megachurch style), a few ‘warm words’ of greeting from the assigned “pastor” / then a 20-30 minute lecture / sermon from the “senior pastor”, file out. So, when I attend a movie in a theater… am I ‘meeting’ together with all the other attendees, encouraging them? Does a quick “hi” or “hello” or of course the “head nod” to all the other attendees constitute encouragement to them? So it’s only real “community” after or before the ‘service’ then?
Is there a difference between a real spiritual family and a ‘gathering’? Are the Church services you attend more of a gathering or a family meal around a table? Are people asking questions? Are the participants telling their stories from the past week? What really is a spiritual “community” or “assembly”? Do you have lots of strangers and people you don’t know around your dinner table every week? What really is the purpose of the American Church Sunday service now? How much of it is ‘religion’? How much of it is relationship? Do you base your relationship with your real friends / family on just going to large gatherings together?
Yes… obviously small group meetings are MUCH more of a type of ‘family meal’. Real discussions, real questions, life stories told, real responses, IF the small group leaders actually know the goal of the ‘family’ (which is stated in the scripture above). Do you really want to be part of a spiritual community? Then be a participating member of small groups that have the same zeal and interest in Jesus and spiritual growth that you have. Don’t be looking to the formal religious liturgy of the Sunday morning ritual service for your ‘spiritual food’.
How do you find such groups? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to them. And also start one with just one other friend like yourself. Don’t be looking for someone just to give you ‘baby’ formula every week. Learn how to ‘chew’ the Word for yourself. Dig into the things the Holy Spirit is asking you to do. Dig into the Word, asking the Holy Spirit to teach you. Learn conversational prayer with Him. Learn what He is asking you to do, and to say. Learn His timing, and learn to ‘wait’ on Him.
Is recognizing His Presence the goal of the meeting? Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide the conversation? Why are we meeting together? What’s the real purpose? Are you asking your friends real questions … or are you just making conversation?
Have you experienced a REAL spiritual “family”? If you say “yes”, how well do you really know them? What depth of knowledge do you really have about those people? Do you know their strengths and weaknesses, gifts and abilities, and personality quirks? Do you know their sense of humor, or their past spiritual history? Those things can ONLY be known by close intimate deep conversations. Do you have that kind of relationship with the Holy Spirit? How many others would you call a real ‘friend’? One you could call at 2am and they would come over if you asked them to?
To find one’s real ‘tribe’ has been hard wired into the human soul. Have you really found yours yet?