Comfort Zone: Stretching Beyond Your LimitsSample

I’ve been involved with many churches.

• Some old, some young.

• Some urban, some suburban.

• Some traditional, some contemporary.

• Some where everyone looks like me, some where nobody looks like me.

• And some where it’s a little bit of everything.

Whenever I’d step into a new community, it was tempting to wonder, Am I going to be comfortable here? It’s natural to be drawn toward a community that’s easy and restful, where challenges, tensions, and hard conversations are few and far between. But should comfort be the most important factor when we consider community?

When I think about Jesus and his disciples, comfort isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Jesus challenged his circle with some difficult words. His lifestyle seemed to disrupt the status quo. I can only imagine that the disciples were all sorts of uncomfortable, given that Jesus’ words and actions consistently created tension in the hearts of those around him. Jesus sure didn’t make it easy to be a part of his community. “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” I can barely carry a heavy backpack for a couple of hours, let alone a proverbial cross! But it was the disciples’ engagement with the discomforting challenges to their faith that transformed these ordinary men into the pillars of the early Christian church.

Being uncomfortable actually helped them grow! It makes me wonder if I’m asking the right question when I wonder, Am I going to be comfortable with these people, in this circle, as a part of this community? Maybe I should be asking something different. What was it that characterized the disciples’ community? Perhaps instead of comfort, I should be searching for safety. I realize that outside of their inner circle, the disciples faced some rather dangerous situations, so I’m not suggesting that their experiences were always risk-free. But I do believe that inside their community, they could trust that it was going to be a safe place. A place to be open and honest.

A place to agree and disagree. A place to have a friend put you in your place, in a loving and gracious way. A place to be challenged to live differently . . . to be celebrated when you succeed and supported when you fail. That sounds like a community I’d really like to experience!

Chris Kim
Community Groups Director