Les Henson
The journey of faith is often very lonely and challenging. It is difficult enough without us ever walking that journey alone. It concerns me that so many fine Christian people disconnect from the church. For we each need a community of fellow believers to journey with, to belong to, to fellowship with who lovingly hold us accountable for the way we live and encourage us when we go through hard and difficult times as we inevitably do from time to time. I fully understand why many have given up on the church and their angst towards the institutional church. Much of that angst is rightly felt. Yet to live a life disconnected from a community of faith, to opt for isolation, instead of involvement is a grave matter. We are the people of God, the body of Christ, and we are never that in isolation. We need other members of the body to be who we are and who we are supposed to be. Even if it is painful to commit oneself to the institutional church, and it really is for so many who have been used, burnt, and spat out the other side. I suggest that it is still important to find a group, no matter how small, with whom you can journey, belong and be accountable for it is impossible to walk with Jesus unless we also walk with others who also walk with him.