The Church Dynamic and the Dynamic Church

I've been reading and studying, thinking, pondering, musing and meditating on the church a lot lately. This has led me to a great appreciation of being lovingly adopted into such an institution, a people called out of the worldly realm to be led and loved by God. I've also thought about the responsibilities I have (which are also privileges) that come with that blessed adoption into God's family. Specifically, I've been reminded, and I've lived the fact, that when one of us suffers, we all suffer. (1 Cor. 12:26) Something about suffering: suffering causes us to grow in Godly character. (James 1:2) Suffering teaches us about God and His Son. We are called to teach what we've learned to others in the church, so that they, too, will be built up, growing in the knowledge of the Son of God. (Eph. 4:12,13) That means sharing our sufferings. When we share our sufferings, we help our brothers and sisters to weep with us (Ro. 12:18) and pray for us (James 5:13,14), to come alongside us and help us to carry our burdens (Gal. 6:2), and to show us kindness and compassion. (Eph. 4:32) In short, sharing our burdens, struggles and sins with brothers and sisters helps us all to grow closer in unity, and allows our brothers and sisters to show us the love of Christ. Only when we speak the truth can other members of the Body speak truth to us and minister to us. As Christians, we love the truth, and want and need to hear it. The truth benefits the entire body, and we are robbing ourselves of kindness and compassion, and robbing the church of an opportunity to pray for us and help us when we refuse to share honestly our struggles. No Cristian was meant to live in isolation, and we are fooling ourselves if we think we can be self-sufficient.