Shared Devotion

While regular gathering is an essential component of community, it isn’t unique to Christianity. Social cliques, book clubs, and support groups gather regularly, too. What makes Christian community distinct is not our gathering but what we do when we gather.

Luke tells us that the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers …” (Acts 2:42). When the church came together, they listened to the word of God together and prayed together. Thus, the second component of community is shared devotion.

Christian community involves reading the Bible together, praying together, and obeying together. Christians shouldn’t just have shared devotion during formal small group gatherings and Bible studies. Shared devotion should always flow through our time together, as Paul writes,

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17).

Of course, reading the Bible, praying, and obeying together isn’t all that we do in Christian community. There’s room for small talk and informal recreation when we gather. But what makes Christian community distinct is this: whether we read the Bible together, play golf together, watch a movie together, or go on a mission trip together, our aim is always to encourage one another in the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31; 14:12, 26; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). For this reason, when you gather with Christians, you should look for ways to share the Word, pray with one another, and obey Jesus together.