The Communion of the Saints

As I prepared today for Sunday, I was studying the communion of the saints. What is the communion of the saints?  It is the Spirit-created and empowered fellowship of all true believers who are united together in love by their union with Christ.  They have spiritual, but tangible communion with one another as they tangibly share in corporate worship, use spiritual gifts, live together with Christian graces, share material goods and talents with one another, and speak gospel truth into one another's lives for mutual edification.

Beautiful.

But why is such community so rare in the church today?  I came across this quote that really hit home for me:

"The pride of individualism has infected the Amercian church.  Thomas Jefferson liked to observe, "I am a sect myself."  Thomas Paine said, "My mind is my church."  Now many Americans are raising Paine in the contemporary church.  they doubt the necessity of active involvement in a living church.  They rely on Christian radio, worship at home with a televangelist, or treat churches like leased automobiles, trading the old one in for a new one every five years."  

Jesus, thank you that you saved me from myself and the tyranny of having my way.  By your love communicated in my life through the Spirit applying the Word, please keep me from raising Paine and so causing myself and others pain!  May I be so satisfied in my union with you that I sacrifice in my relationships with others and become an instrument of your grace to show other saints the tangible, practical, active communion of love that we share as your visible church.  May we be "united to one another in love... share in one another's gifts and graces... maintain holy fellowship in the worship of God... relieve each other in outward things... perform such spiritual services as tend to our mutual ediciation" as the Westminster Confession chapter XVI summarizes your Word's instructions.  Do this by your love, because of your love, and through your love I pray. AMEN.