Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Ethos of Christian Community

Tim Chester with some words I couldn't agree more with:
We need to think of church discipline not simply as a final act of excommunication, but as a lifestyle of discipleship.
If I’m moaning, I need someone to challenge me to find joy in Christ. If I’m anxious, I need someone to exhort me to trust in my heavenly Father’s care. If I’m ashamed, I need someone to comfort me with the grace of God. It might be a leader; it might be a new Christian. It might be in a scheduled meeting; it might be as we tend someone’s garden together. We need daily exhortation: ‘See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’ (Hebrews 3:12-13) And we need it from people who see us in the daily grind of life, not just when we are on our best behaviour.
Read the rest.  

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