16. My spiritual community is essential for my transformation; without it, I would struggle to grow and mature on my journey with Jesus.

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

There are different kinds of growth in our lives; physical growth that develops our bodies, intellectual growth that increases our understanding of things, and character growth that develops the kind of people we are. If the time you spent on each were an indication of your priorities, how would these three types of growth be ordered?

Each of the above areas require certain things in order to grow: our bodies need nutrition, exercise and rest; our intellect grows by reading, studying, listening, and observing. How would you say that we grow our character life?

In what ways could a spiritual community, a small group of people who love you and want what is best for you, play a role in developing your character?

How could your character, sometimes called your interior life, help you in your walk with God?

From the beginning of creation, God has invited humanity into sacred spaces and sacred moments. In the first few pages of the Old Testament we see Noah and Abraham encountering God as they offered sacrifices. Further along in the Old Testament we see the people of Israel communing with God during the sacred festivals God ordained and in temple worship.  We also find the Prophets bringing God’s word to His people in a variety of settings. Old Testament followers had many places to worship and connect with God. 

In the New Testament we see Jesus spending time fasting, being in solitude with His Father, gathering with His disciples, preaching, healing and going to the temple and synagogue. And in the early New Testament church we read of the disciples spending time together in home-communities, worshiping at the temple, healing and preaching. All of these are ways that God has connected with us in the past. In each of these examples the purpose or goal for the space or moment was worshiping God, learning about God, learning about the Scriptures, serving God, or being transformed into the character of Christ.

If we think about the spaces that God makes available to us today, and the purposes for which He invites us into those spaces, not every space is the same and not every purpose is the same. The purpose and the space have a special relationship and certain purposes are best accomplished in distinct spaces. Each space has a good purpose and no space is better than another. 

But to some degree, to be spiritually healthy and stay connected to God, we need to participate in enough spaces to be able to experience all that God desires for us. Like our physical diets, we need to eat from a variety of sources that create healthy physical and spiritual bodies. The spaces we participate in will affect our spiritual health and relationship with God. For example, attending a church service with many people, hearing a sermon, and participating in worship may facilitate a more informed understanding of God, opportunities to worship and praise Him, and create a sense of belonging to the larger community of Christ. However, corporate worship services may not be the best space for facilitating the healing of our brokenness and our transformation into the kind of people God longs for us to be. 

The space in which that kind of transformation happens is usually smaller, more personal, and arranged differently. Spiritual communities, the kind we see that Jesus formed with His disciples and that early church leaders modeled are spaces that best facilitate transformation in our lives. If we are not participating in a spiritual community, even though we may be active in many other sacred spaces, we may find that we remain stuck in our journey of spiritual and character growth. Corporate worship is important space but it is not the best space for helping us implement and apply what we learn. 

We need spaces that let us practice what we have learned, to grow to be more patient, loving, kind, gentle, forgiving, etc. Spiritual communities are the spaces that God has designed for this to happen. 

If we truly desire to become more Christ-like and to deepen our relationship with Him, then we must make the effort to actively participate in transformational spaces. These spaces will be spiritual communities that are small enough for us to know others and be known by them.