From injoy.com –> The Messy Blessing of Community

The only thing in the Garden of Eden that was “not good”, was the fact that man was alone. We are made to be in community with other people. The problem is that we are not naturally good at being in community with other people because we are selfish and individualistic. So when an authentic community happens, people are naturally drawn to it. But what makes an “authentic community”.

I know that every time I go into a group for the first time, it seems that everyone is “sizing” each other up. Who is more afluent, who is more social, who has leader qualities, who has needs that I can help, etc.

Authentic community comes when everyone looks to each other as equals. That in all relationships within the community that there are equal give and takes. This can only occur when God is at the center of the community and in the center of all relationships. Why? Because as we were created to be in community, we were first created to be in an intimate relationship with God.

Read the article. Live in community with God and in authentic community with others. Enjoy a radically different but enjoyable life.

PS - Sidenote: We had our first meeting tonight in our Europe Specific training and it was fun getting to know other GEM’ers (Greater Europe Mission). You’ll hear more about all that in the days to come.