The Refreshing reality of true community
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity…it is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mt. Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.” (Psalm 133)
A couple of years ago I had the joy of hiking some trails around Mt. Hermon in July. The Middle East can get quite hot in the heart of the summer, and this day was a scorcher. Fortunately I had my water bottle with me, but even that started to overheat.
As I meandered down a steep tree-covered trail, the shade started to lessen the extreme heat. Then I heard it—a waterfall. I found my way onto a platform that overlooked the falls, and was refreshed by the cold spray coming off the water that was cascading over the rocks. I wanted to jump in. I could imagine David, the author of Psalm 33, swimming in the cold pool at the bottom as he refreshed himself in the run-off of Hermon during the heat of the day, sharing time and food and rest with other brothers who shared his life and purpose. Sounds like perfect day to me!
The only thing that could have been better was if it could have happened at Zion, which was the hub of Jewish Worship and adjacent to the core of the political Kingdom as well. David enjoyed his time away with friends in the North hills of Israel, but this kind of refreshing fellowship was harder to come by in the center of it all.
It’s one thing to get away with our closest buddies and live the good life for a day or two, but it’s quite another thing to live together in unity in the midst of the work that God has called us to. Combining the two together is the epitome of fulfillment. Refreshing, Godly, fellowship and God-purposed partnership hand-in-hand—there is nothing like it.
Over the last 24 hours, I’ve had opportunity to enjoy this kind of fellowship. Good friends who live far away are here for a brief visit. We ate and drank, we caught a movie, and we had long talks about what God was doing in our lives. It’s been refreshing to let my guard down and be honest about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in ministry, and not be judged for either. I look forward to those kind of special times, as infrequent as they may seem.
But the New Testament presumes this kind of connection in our day-to-day lives, as well. We don’t often find folks ‘doing ministry’ on their own. Peter served within a community. Paul was connected to others in his efforts. Jesus quickly established disciples and partners at the beginning of this ministry.
Getting away for an occasional time of refreshing is needed, but real blessing and life don’t just happen on vacation. If community is being lived-out properly, the context for refreshing should be in the midst of congregational reality, too. Living in unity presupposes that we do it together. Church is not to be about one person (the pastor) living on top of the mountain with God and occasionally delivering edicts, but it is an interconnected community who does life together and listens to and responds to God together, with the result being blessing and life ‘forevermore’.