Community and Scripture

The other day I was talking with a complete stranger and the topic of the Bible and going to church came up. I know it’s not your typical choice for discussion with someone you’ve never met before, but nonetheless, there we were talking about spiritual things. He made a comment about how he had struggled to find a church to attend that he felt comfortable with and as a result he had not been to church in a long time. However, he made it very clear that his “Bible wasn’t dusty” and that he felt if he believed that Jesus came, died, and rose again for us, and that He continued to read the Scripture, that was all that was necessary.

I mentioned how Jerod and I had also struggled to find a new church home when we first got back from Zimbabwe. It was a good 9 months before we finally settled on a church we both felt comfortable with and then probably another 9 months before we felt like we had made some quality relationships that would last for a very long time. During the time that we were searching for a church home, I felt like a huge part of me was lacking and missing something essential. Since we weren’t plugged in anywhere, it was easy to just skip church because we were too tired or just didn’t feel up to it. Now that we have found a church we love and have wonderful friends on whom we can rely, I feel more whole and complete. I know God has designed us for community and it saddens me to think that this person is missing out on what I consider an essential part of the Christian life, and life in general.

However, his statement about his Bible not being dusty also got me to thinking. I go to church, I get “fed” spiritually from the sermons and our mid-week Bible study, I pray, I have a good group of people with whom I am connecting, but lately with a small kid to take care of, I have found it very difficult to get into the Bible on my own and truly soak up the Scriptures as I once did. I’m sad to say that my Bible has “collected some dust” in recent months. My conversation with this stranger reminded me once again that in order to have a vital, growing faith, you need more than just one thing. There are several important aspects to spiritual growth and development and I definitely need to be working more on getting back into God’s Word and letting it take root in my life.