Individually Collectively are words with opposite meanings, but in a Christian context they make sense.

Our Christian life is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ with the goal of becoming more Christlike. We have personal quiet time or private devotions and some of us remember the old song, Jesus and Me. These suggest individuality; so where does collectively fit? 

We can not live the Christian life in isolation, alone without others. The authors of The Upward Call compare our need for community to the giant redwood of California. Because these trees have survived storms and ferocious winds, we could expect them to have a deep-root system. Instead they have shallow roots. While shallow, the roots are entwined with the roots of others trees in the same grove. When a redwood does fall, it is typically the tree that has sprouted up away from the others. Its root system can’t reach the roots of other trees. Therefore, when storms and winds come, it doesn’t have the strength to survive.

As Christians we need each other to survive the storms and winds that blow into our lives. “The holy life is not a journey for solitary souls. The church is a called-out community, a group of sinners saved by grace who help each other on the way” (Tracy, 1994,  p. 135). John Wesley organized his converts into societies, classes, bands, and mentoring relationships. We need a safe place where fellow Christian can challenge our work, ask the hard questions, pray for us, and encourage us.

For about a year, I’ve led a group of women on this journey. We started by reading Silent God by Joe Bentz. This allowed us to become better acquainted and to form a relationship comfortable enough to be vulnerable. Then we tackled the list of questions Wesley asked his converts. For a list of those questions, click here.

Currently we’re reading and discussing The Seven Deadly Sins by Dan Boone. We’re skipping through the chapters as various members of the group lead the discussion on a chapter that has challenged them. We read a sentence or section and discuss the implications for our lives.

There is little preparation for the meetings. Everyone reads the chapter and the leader tosses out questions or comments from other sources. Sometimes we stay close to the topic and other meetings find us wondering as one of us seeks input from the group for help with a challenging situation. Recently, one member asked for us to invest another week on a chapter. She told us about her challenging situation. While we wanted to fix the problem, we realized our role was to be her redwood sisters, using entwined roots to give her support and encouragement.

That’s community; that’s discipleship; and it’s a small group in action!