For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt
One of the things that I noticed in the media this week from the essentials red course was that in every phase of history mentioned, they all had one main theme that stuck out to me. Community. Being together in community by gathering in ceremonies, singing songs, painting, repeating and remembering the stories of Jesus; practicing and walking in the gifts of the spirit together, praying together and reading scripture together.
Community is SO important as a believer. I didn’t used to think so. In my highschool and college years, I had that mind set of, I just want to be single my whole life and be a hard core missionary for God… just me and God and I don’t need anybody else. I really did have those thoughts at times. Since then, God has shown me differently. He completely changed my train of thought in that aspect. I moved in with three other believers from my church. In that time I saw and felt real community. We prayed together, we struggled together, we worshiped together, we fought for each other, we ate soup together, and we grew together. Without that community, I would not be the lover of Jesus that I am right now and I would not have realized that, without each other, we can not be the people that God has called us to be in Him.
In reading through the course material, my excitement and longing has been stirred for community; how the early church ate and worshiped together and read the Bible together in their own homes. I think this type of setting and just the act of being together is very beneficial in shaping us as a worshipper.
