Authentic & Synthetic Community

Synopsis     Psalms 77:5-78:11     1/5/2022 

The psalmist reflected on bygone days when God’s blessing on Israel was obvious. Since he wrote after the destruction of Solomon’s Temple, he longed for a return of God’s favor. But in the end, he concluded that God had left the Chosen People. 

In the next portion, the psalmist anticipated a new beginning for Zion. And so, he encouraged the people to follow after the Law of Moses. Especially, he encouraged teaching the law of God to their children . In this way, generation after generation might know and serve Him. 

Authentic Community and Synthetic Community 

Authentic Community is a community of faith in God through Jesus Christ. Conversely, Synthetic Community is any community based on any other premise. Synthetic Communities are the inventions of men and codified in one form of social contract or another.  

The language of Authentic Community has this advantage. It is unimaginable that God would forsake the “Authentic Community”. So, rather than connect God’s Chosen People with a certain generation or a certain ethnicity, see the Authentic Community as God’s Chosen People.  

And then, join the Authentic Community by virtue of your love for the God of all Creation.  

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” Matt 3:9