An important part of koinonia is that of sharing. Sharing is integral to the Trinity and extremely important within the context of the church. Or, as Icenogle writes,
Wherever the person of Jesus calls together two or more other persons, male or female, young or old, Jew or Gentile, there is the divine-human community in microcosm, the ecclesia, a Christian small group. The Spirit of God as the community of God in Christ is shared wherever two or more are gathered together. The Spirit shares the ministry of Jesus with the ecclesia, those called together by Jesus. The ongoing ministry of Jesus through the Spirit is the ministry of building divine-human community, of reconciling men and women to God and to one another. Small groups who meet in the nature and name of Jesus are communities of reconciliation. Small groups are communities where persons can experience forgiveness, healing and maturity. They are spaces where human relationships can take on the character of Jesus with Abba God, like Jesus with the Twelve. It is in this small group community of love and trust that broken persons and relationships experience the freedom to share failure, pain, hurt and addiction. They have the freedom to self-disclose, to confess and to listen and respond with truth and love.” (Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry: An Integrative Approach)
One of my favorite parts of getting together in small groups is that of self-disclosure. It isn’t easy, but it feels great… most of the time!
Luke is a pastor-theologian living in northern California, serving as a co-lead pastor with his life, Dawn, at the Red Bluff Vineyard. Father of five amazing kids, when Luke isn’t hanging with his family, reading or writing theology, he moonlights as a fly fishing guide for Confluence Outfitters. He blogs regularly at LukeGeraty.com and regularly contributes to his YouTube channel.
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