The New Community
Recently, I found myself keeping house alone while the Princess Bride was away for a few days. I took advantage of the opportunity to catch up on some of the TV shows I find interesting, but don’t watch as the two of us are fans of other shows.
One of those shows is the BBC America series based on (and sharing the same title with) the popular podcast, The Nerdist. The particular episode I was watching featured ‘Nerd Girls.’ One guest in particular was actress, writer, producer, gamer and all-around queen nerd, Felicia Day. She was asked about her hit internet series, The Guild, and had something interesting to say about why she gravitated toward new media over traditional media.
Now, I’m paraphrasing here, but her comment was something along the lines of how much fun it was and how satisfying it was to create something, share it with people who enjoy it, and how these same folks receive, discuss it, internalize it, and then give back to the community.
When I listened to what she said, it made me consider how this is also supposed to be the function of the Church. The Church was established by Christ to receive His grace, internalize it, then give back to the Church and to the world.
Too often, I fear, members of the Body of Christ forget that part of the equation. They only to look at what the rest of the Church can do for them and the members of their families, and pass by the needs of others, both within the Church and without. The Great Commission, which many hold as Christ’s mandate to the Church, reminds us that we are to ‘go into the world and make disciples.’ Nowhere in that command is to receive God’s grace and keep it for one’s self. We are blessed in order to bless.
What would the Church look like if we were accepting of each other’s gifts, talents, skills and interests, made room for their individuality, heard the challenges and comforts contained in the Gospel, shared within Body, and then gave back to the world at large? I think it would look and be what it was supposed to be all along.
One of those shows is the BBC America series based on (and sharing the same title with) the popular podcast, The Nerdist. The particular episode I was watching featured ‘Nerd Girls.’ One guest in particular was actress, writer, producer, gamer and all-around queen nerd, Felicia Day. She was asked about her hit internet series, The Guild, and had something interesting to say about why she gravitated toward new media over traditional media.
Now, I’m paraphrasing here, but her comment was something along the lines of how much fun it was and how satisfying it was to create something, share it with people who enjoy it, and how these same folks receive, discuss it, internalize it, and then give back to the community.
When I listened to what she said, it made me consider how this is also supposed to be the function of the Church. The Church was established by Christ to receive His grace, internalize it, then give back to the Church and to the world.
Too often, I fear, members of the Body of Christ forget that part of the equation. They only to look at what the rest of the Church can do for them and the members of their families, and pass by the needs of others, both within the Church and without. The Great Commission, which many hold as Christ’s mandate to the Church, reminds us that we are to ‘go into the world and make disciples.’ Nowhere in that command is to receive God’s grace and keep it for one’s self. We are blessed in order to bless.
What would the Church look like if we were accepting of each other’s gifts, talents, skills and interests, made room for their individuality, heard the challenges and comforts contained in the Gospel, shared within Body, and then gave back to the world at large? I think it would look and be what it was supposed to be all along.
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