on community
I am thinking through the purpose of community as Christians. This is what was on my mind tonight.
The idea is that we are known by our love for each other and as people observe from the outside they are drawn into the community where the cycle continues. As we practice healthy community and move together towards Christ and his likeness, the hope, generosity, love, kindness, etc towards each other is a compelling witness to the world around us. We are not called to go out on our own and convert people nor to make friends just to move on to the next person so we get to ‘chalk one up for Jesus’ but instead we need to come together and love all those around us and in doing so share with any and everyone the hope that we have found in Jesus. We do have a purpose as a community and it is to share with others the hope of the gospel but they are not be to be projects. Instead as an outward and obvious overflow of what we ourselves are experiencing. It is as if you have found the ability you have found to stay in great shape with only a two minutes of workout a day. Would you not want to tell everyone you cared for about this amazing discovery? Would you not be selfish and somehow hateful to keep it to yourself? Even if this is a stupid example, how much more does the community of Jesus followers have to share with a dying world. And it is not a hit and run message but instead a way of living and seeing the world. It is a faith in Jesus that is not just fire insurance but the chance to truly live both in this life and the one to come.
A healthy community by its nature should be reaching out and excitedly drawing others in. This is only hard because we tend to see community as a safe bubble for us to escape into, a chance to flee the outside pressures. This should not be. Instead it should be a place of universal refuge where even when it is made clear to someone that they are in need of forgiveness, they feel safe and loved. We are not called to convince the world of their sin but instead be open about the process of grace that we have experienced and by God’s grace he might use our brokenness to draw others to himself.
Not sure about that last sentence but I think it might be true.
The idea is that we are known by our love for each other and as people observe from the outside they are drawn into the community where the cycle continues. As we practice healthy community and move together towards Christ and his likeness, the hope, generosity, love, kindness, etc towards each other is a compelling witness to the world around us. We are not called to go out on our own and convert people nor to make friends just to move on to the next person so we get to ‘chalk one up for Jesus’ but instead we need to come together and love all those around us and in doing so share with any and everyone the hope that we have found in Jesus. We do have a purpose as a community and it is to share with others the hope of the gospel but they are not be to be projects. Instead as an outward and obvious overflow of what we ourselves are experiencing. It is as if you have found the ability you have found to stay in great shape with only a two minutes of workout a day. Would you not want to tell everyone you cared for about this amazing discovery? Would you not be selfish and somehow hateful to keep it to yourself? Even if this is a stupid example, how much more does the community of Jesus followers have to share with a dying world. And it is not a hit and run message but instead a way of living and seeing the world. It is a faith in Jesus that is not just fire insurance but the chance to truly live both in this life and the one to come.
A healthy community by its nature should be reaching out and excitedly drawing others in. This is only hard because we tend to see community as a safe bubble for us to escape into, a chance to flee the outside pressures. This should not be. Instead it should be a place of universal refuge where even when it is made clear to someone that they are in need of forgiveness, they feel safe and loved. We are not called to convince the world of their sin but instead be open about the process of grace that we have experienced and by God’s grace he might use our brokenness to draw others to himself.
Not sure about that last sentence but I think it might be true.
posted by Jon at
9:25 PM
6 Comments:
I catch ya about Jesus, but I don't know about that workout plan thing. I used to give the skinny girls in Chadbourne larger servings of icecream in hopes of fattening them up. I mean, c'mon, I want a fat community. Or at least a fatter one than me. But that's because I'm a selfish little jerk.
(I'd say I'm just kidding here, but let's be honest...)
jon ... it's been too long. can you put up something new? a busy schedule has required me to take lunch breaks at my desk, and i am in dire need of a good 5 minute blog read. can you help?
Come on Jon, it has been twenty five days and snow camp is over; you must have something to post about by now. How am I supposed to procrastinate effectively if you don't give me anything to read?
amen
hey! I just wanted to give an endorsement for "Everbody's Normal Until You Get to Know Them" by John Ortberg. Great book for a growing community.
Thanks Stephen. I have read some of Ortberg's books and enjoyed them. I will have to check it out.
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