Commune as a verb means “to communicate intimately.”
Community is a “unified body of individuals.”
Communion means “an act or instance of sharing.”
Webster’s Dictionary is one of my favorite places to bring clarity in my life. The definitions help me understand what I am writing or saying. This past weekend I went to the Propel Activate conference by Christine Caine. It got me thinking and brought up some questions to seek answers to in my life.
Lisa Harper, a hysterically funny, godly woman, said “Community with others is not communion with God.” This phrase hasn’t left me. I often consider my powerful time of community with friends who love Jesus as communion with God. Before I even looked up the definition of commune, I knew that it meant intimacy. I am developing intimacy with my friends I fellowship with. I have community. I am with a unified body of individuals. I am not, however, connecting with God in this same way.
Communion with God is to commune with God. To be sharing intimacy with Him. To communicate intimately with Him. I do that daily. I just don’t do it as much as I do with my friends. I can spend hours chatting without running out of topics with my friends. I spend five minutes in prayer and I am often at a loss. What else can I say? Who can I pray for? There are also times when I am in prayer or studying God’s word that I lose track of time. However, those times are less frequent.
My desire is to increase my communion with God. (I am not talking the partaking of the bread and wine, by the way. That is one definition of the word communion. I am referring to my act of sharing intimately with God.) How can I do this?
- Set a timer and spend time in prayer. Each week increase the time by 5 minutes.
- Read God’s word every day and spend time listening for his response.
- Cut one of my sitcoms from my watch list and replace that time with intentional time pursuing God.
- When I want to call a friend for help, spend at least a few minutes talking to God about it first.
- Look for ways each day to connect with Him in new and unique circumstances.
As I work on this intentional pursuit for communion with God, new ideas will form. I will share them as they do. I encourage you to find more time to commune with God this week. Increase your time of intimacy with Him.
“Be still, and know that I am God” – Psalm 46:10 NIV
Dream Big! Pray Big!