new church life: jan uary/february 2016
that one person doing most of the work alone could put on an assembly,
nor could we do it by everyone doing the same thing at the same time. The
only way to function effectively as a large group is to divide the work among
many committees and organized small groups, so that one group can focus
on publicity, another on food service, another on transportation, another on
music, etc.
Virtually every large group of human beings is divided into smaller
groups, because this is the human form – the human body is divided into
various organs and viscera, and each of these is formed of still smaller groups.
A large group of people seen functionally is in the same form.
The United States army (like almost every army) is organized into small
groups (squads) of about 10 soldiers, which together form larger platoons and
companies. Every large corporation is divided into various departments, work
crews and office groups. Every orchestra has sections for woodwinds, brass,
strings and percussion, and every choir has sections singing higher and lower
parts to create harmony. Every school divides into a number of classes.
In fact, everything in the universe is structured this way. Everything from
molecules is groups of atoms, which contain protons and neutrons, which are
groups of quarks; all the way up to galaxies that are grouped into clusters that
in turn are grouped into superclusters.
Throughout Nature there is nothing which is not composed of bunches to form
groupings. Every tree, every bush, plant and vegetable, indeed every ear of corn or
blade of grass is both generally and in detail so constructed. The universal cause of
this is that this is the way Divine truths are structured. (True Christianity 351)
New Church Teachings
The New Church is like many other churches and religions in teaching that we
should love our neighbor.
Love for the Lord and good will toward the neighbor make the church. (Secrets of
Heaven 4723, New Jerusalem 60)
Intellectual things, or those which are of faith, do not make up the church, but the
voluntary things which are of love. (Secrets of Heaven 709)
The New Church offers many clear, specific teachings about how to love
one’s neighbor. These teachings help us see how small groups can provide a
useful context for loving the neighbor in a spiritual way.
Genuine Love Is Mutual and Reciprocal
Large groups naturally divide into smaller groups. Invite 50 people to a party
and you will most likely see them divide into groups of two to 10 people having
separate conversations. An obvious reason for this is that in a small group
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