In 2012, Sara Harmeyer had a tremendously important idea that changed her life and the life of thousands of people. She wanted to build something that seems to have been on the decline for some years; a value that has proven time and time again to be so important that without it, we as a people, would not stand a chance in this fallen world. Let me describe it to you.
Sara quit her job as a charity and fundraiser organizer at St. Judes Children’s Research hospital in Dallas, TX. She wanted to exercise a radical idea in building a community, one table at a time! You see, Sara declared that her happiest times she could remember was when she worked at the local Red Porch Café where she enjoyed serving people that gathered a table, with fine food and talk, while being so connected. So in her own backyard, Sara started a community meal where it started with 20 people she invited and eventually it became 300 people just over a period of weeks. Sara stated, “I was absolutely blown away. I realized that people kept coming down the driveway to my home not just to eat, but to be invited to something far more important! Being part of a community!”
Over a period of six years, she hosted over 3000 people and now runs Neighbors Table’ full time and has placed tables in more than 30 states. This Neighbors Table has reached so many business as well as churches that it has become something so much bigger than themselves. You see friends, when Christ invited us, each of us, to love our neighbors, this for some seemed to be a crazy idea! Because you see, when we feel so compelled to ignore those people that are different than we are, rude, dirty, nasty, odd, etc. we truly are not learning the meaning of love! It’s hard to love someone who is not like me! However, there are ways that we can connect; ways that we can do God’s work by doing exactly what Christ tells us to do and be rewarded at the same time. Its all of us sitting at a big table, feeling and knowing we each are part of something much bigger than ourselves. It is the power of community!
In one of todays readings in the epistle of James, we find a very interesting passage of scripture where community is a must. Starting at verse 13. Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. When we look at this, what are we noticing? One of the first things we see is when we, that is God’s people, are suffering, sick, in turmoil, in distress, in dire straights of life, we are NOT to hold it in, NOT to keep it secret, but call upon the community of believers and be anointed, prayed for. In other words, our stubborn pride, our own prayers, our own selfish whims to think our prayers are good enough, our own constitution will satisfy my needs enough, will not jive! God gives us a clear picture this morning that when we are down, we draw upon the community of believers and that work alone will help us. Notice in verse 15 again, and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him! Are we getting any misinterpretations here? The power of the community of believers will absolutely restore things upon God’s will and desire for us, yet when the world says “you are walking alone,” Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” When the world says “you are to deal with your own burdens,” when Jesus tells us “take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light!” Listen carefully friends. No Christian has ever, ever, been called to go at life alone! WE cannot obey God without being in regular, close fellowship with other believers which is the power of community—and I would even dare say that remote worship and fellowship is not the same as in-person! Now maybe some circumstances are embarrassing to share or some events to scary to mention, but this is where our faith comes in! True and genuine community has the greatest benefits in just as what we heard in James, yet why do we seem to fall upon the facts of being so tough and self-reliant that we become too good to share our feelings, our lives and circumstances so others can pray, help and assist us in our walk of life! Are we too prideful? Too scared? Too equipped for others not to lend us aid? I do not think so!
Let me give you something for you to ponder on. In Somerset, England, they have seen a fall in emergency hospital admissions since introducing a new concept or project. And although surprising, it resulted in tremendous results. Its called community. After a steady trial and study of many patients, it was proven that when people are isolated who have health problems and then are supported by a genuine community group of volunteers, the health of these patients spectacularly improved! One doctor commented, “No other interventions on record have reduced hospital visits across a population like community!” SO here is how it worked! They set up a directory of agencies and community groups. They employed "health connectors" and trained voluntary "community connectors" to help their patients find the support they needed. The goal was to break an unhealthy cycle: illness leads to isolation and loneliness, which then exacerbates illness. Then, it was even proven from a 2013 model that seriously ill patients with cancer and HIV that had strong social support of a community, actually lowered the level of the disease than those without! SO what this points out to friends is even though the hospital did not publically have God at their focus, it was God who helped them establish and recognize a principle where without community, fellow people, we will not thrive and our health could even take a hit!
Let me shift a little bit and read from Gospel of Mark. Here in chapter 9 we see a very interesting passage that is not long but in it shows where even in a community of believers whom we may actually never heard of or know, can make all the difference. Starting at verse 38. John said to Him [Jesus], “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.
Jesus declares to us in this passage several important points, but the one I want to focus on today is a diverse community! Notice the disciple John declared other people was doing God’s work, yet John did not recall those people directly following them, which is not surprising. Many hundreds of people was around Jesus and the disciples, but John declared, if I didn’t see them around us, then they do not follow us, which is not necessarily true! Jesus simply said, “If they are not against us, they are for us!” This reminds me of our current world today where if other denominations are not methodist, they are not Christian like us! If we do not worship Christ like Baptist, then we are not God’s people? And so on. This is inherently dangerous friends! Lets reread verse 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. If we who believe and follow the Risen Christ, as a community of believers, regardless of our denomination, we are as one! Yes there are denominations that ‘claim’ to know and follow Christ but only are to be found as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, this is where we are to discern by way of the Holy Spirit to help protect and guide us away from false doctrine.
In closing, I would like to leave you with this thought. Who are we to determine who follows and worships God? According to scripture, only those who know the Lord God and follow His will and statures will be His. Can we narrow that statement down to just one denomination or even just a small local community group? God is much bigger than that, just as the power of community is much more important than we may have originally thought.
The power of community friends cannot be emphasized any less important as to declare if we as fellow believers of Christ, who truly and genuinely follow, serve and obey Him, we have an obligation. A duty to draw upon the community whom we can trust, lean and depend on. Don’t be shy! Don’t be scared! Pauls letter to the people of Galatian tells us “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” We are fulfilling God’s laws and commands when we are truly becoming a community of believers—and its this same spirit where we do obedient work for God by doing homeless meals, community events, fund raisers, trunk or treat and so much more! We serve others while we also serve one another in Christ. The power of community friends cannot be under estimated, and remember this. Without a community, we cannot be a people of one—where as a nation or as Christians. We do not live life alone—we live life amongst others.
I will leave you with this. Mark 9:50. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another. From whom do we rejuvenate our saltiness? It should be from God and not things of man! The power of community! What a great concept isn’t it? If ever there was a verse about community, it would be Hebrews 10:24-25, and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Amen.