Leaving Out a Crucial Component

We too often forget to include Jesus in our meetings

by Amy Jackson

Have you ever had a small-group meeting without Jesus? I know I've been guilty of it! It's far too easy to focus on the preparation, the discussion, and the overtalker and completely leave Jesus out of our meetings. Of course, small groups should bring us to the feet of Jesus, but it's too easy to check off our small-group meeting tasks and never actually experience God in our midst.

But it's important to keep our focus on God—not just because that's what we're supposed to do, but because it's the only way we'll experience true community. In our digizine Worship in Community, Bonnie McMaken shares why keeping Christ at the center is crucial to true fellowship. She writes the following in her article "A Theology of Small-Group Worship":

When small-group members worship together, they focus their attention first on God and his divine character made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ. Everything else the group does stems from this place of Christ-centeredness.
This upward focus on Jesus also brings a sense of transparency to the group, because coming face-to-face with the holiness of Christ means we see ourselves as we truly are: broken, sinful, and in need of grace.

This vulnerability is essential for building community. Our pretenses are stripped down and we come as we are—with our flaws, the messy week we've had, and the angry words we said to our spouses earlier that day. Sure, these evidences can be easily concealed from our group, but worship provides the space to open ourselves to God and to others.

Be warned, though—when we are honest before God and one another, it can be uncomfortable and humbling. Worshipping together allows the divine and the physical to intersect in powerful (and sometimes awkward) ways.

How do you keep Christ at the center of your meetings? In what ways do you invite group members to meet God in their midst? Share with us below.

To read her full article, click here.