“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.”
-1 Peter 2:16
There is perhaps no place in the whole world where the idea of covenant community – an assembly of people that covenant to be the Church for each other – is at greater risk than in America.
I love America, but we have a big challenge – the virtue of independence. Our greatest document, other than the Constitution, is the Declaration of Independence. Of all of the western countries, America is the most independent. And it’s a virtue here. We value independence, but sometimes we become overly extreme with that independence and we allow the culture of our Americanism to prohibit us from entering into true covenant community. We have to remember that our first loyalty is not to king…or president…and country. Our first loyalty is to God. Someday America won’t exist, but the kingdom of God will be forever.
God calls us out of our independence into covenant community. That’s church.
Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes I become weary of the demands of church life. Help me to see my place in community, a place where I can do your work in the lives of fellow believers with love. Amen.
Reflection: Is there something you like to do that could help support the believers in your life and church community?
