Koinonia -- Missional Cell

Check out this excerpt from the book Total Church:
The New Testament word for community is koinonia, often translated by the now anemic word "fellowship." Koinonia is linked to the words "common, sharing, and participation." We are the community of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:9) -- sharing our lives (1 Thessalonians 2:8), sharing our property (Acts 4:32), sharing in the Gospel (Philippians 1:5; Philemon 6), and sharing in Christ's suffering and glory (2 Corinthians 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:13). The collection of money by the Gentile churches for the poverty-stricken church in Jerusalem is an act of koinonia (Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 9:13). Our community life is celebrated and reinforced in Communion, where we participate (koinonia) together in the body and blood of Christ: "Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

I challenge you to study these passages before we take a special communion on Sunday. Let's show up to church on Sunday recognizing that we are a collection of communities sharing in all of these acts of Biblical community.

Are we getting it? The rugged American cowboy, the independent, private American was a neat concept, but it does not make for very good church. We have to do this together in community. Big community, smaller missional community, and groups of two or three will be the church that God wants to see and bless.

We learn about koinonia at places like the Walk to Emmaus and other conferences, but it just never seems to get put into practice. Get into a missional cell and just be open to all God wants to do through that and watch God accelerate your love for Him, and your love for others. Isn't that what we are commanded to do? Let's enjoy living out these Biblical commands in the natural rhythms of our lives.