Community Living in Covenant Community- Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality - Part Four

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, The Gospel of John 3 vs 16 a

Part Four of the series, Six Primary Components of Christian Spirituality, establishes community living in covenant communion established by the Messiah, Jesus become the Christ after shedding his blood and giving his life to compensate for all who humanity could not behaviorally achieve. 

A covenant is a spoken or written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action. Serious consequences follow breach of the agreement. A community is a group of unified individuals bound together by interests, culture, religion, race, politics, etc. A communion is a more intense form of intentional community. It demonstrates a close relationship between people or groups with enhanced meaning.  In Christian context, communion is a ceremony in which bread is eaten and wine is drunk as a way of remembering and showing devotion to Jesus Christ.

Following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus; the Apostles record in the Book of Acts the development of a community living in covenant communion. Families of men and women now model the lives after the life of Jesus. This is the moment for which the God human, Jesus given evidence to the words, “For God so loved the world that he gave.”

And the giving does not stop after Jesus ascends from the Earth to heaven to return to God, his Father. As God has so loved the world that he gave his only son for all of humanity, so those who remain behind began to live a spirit of giving.

In Acts Chapter 2 vss 42 - 47, the followers of Jesus were noted to sell their belongings to share with the whole of the new community living in covenant communion. The followers of Jesus not only pledged their allegiance and loyalty to Jesus and the Apostles but also to each other and others.

² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵ And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶ And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, ⁴⁷ Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The legacy of the people of the God, the ekklesia, the whole Christian Community that began in Jerusalem, is the spirit and service of a loving woman devoted to her chosen by God Husband. The Messiah, Jesus, the Christ is the husband of the ekklesia, the Church, the community followers of Jesus’s model for living.

Jesus made clear in Luke Chapter 4 vs 18 – 19 he had been sent to Earth to fulfill God’s intention of loving the world so much that he gave Jesus to the world . ¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

If you are to honor the six primary components of Christian Spirituality, it is directed that we share community living in covenant communion. God honors his promise to all of us living in this order of relationship through the words of Jesus in Matthew 28 vs 20b, “I am with you always.”

Next time, we shall take on intentional individual meditation. There we listen for God’s direction from the Word of God to our thoughts reminding us that we have been created by God (Genesis 1 and 2), loved us (John 3 vs 16a), given himself for us to redeemed us (2^nd Corinthians 5 vs 21), and is always with us (Matthew 28 vs 20b).

Until then, May God bless you and keep you, care for you during your sleeping and your waking, in your going outs and your coming ins, in your labour and your leisure; May God make his face to always shine upon you and give you peace. Amen!