We’re studying the book of Acts right now at Austin New Church. This weekend’s text (Acts 2:42-47) goes hand in hand with today’s reading. We’re reminded in both how critical the foundation of selfless community is in this whole journey as a Christ follower. Why? We simply will not overlook each others faults, know of each others needs, and extend grace to one another (among other things) if all we are is casual acquaintances from sitting shoulder to shoulder during a Sunday sermon. Community is where the “rubber meets the road”.
I’m sure that’s why forming authentic community can be hard for so many of us. It can take some serious intentionality and sacrifice. And we’re either willing to do it or we’re not. True community does not form in limbo. I love the examples Hugh and Matt gave on page 75 of things that they’ve encountered in community. I love even more that they didn’t say that those were things that just “happened”, they labeled these things as the catalyst in helping them “discover” community… they were all things that required either vulnerability, sacrifice, or effort (and sometimes all the above).
Community cannot be created in isolation, nor does it happen without action. It requires people to navigate the tensions of interpersonal relationships.” – TK Primer pg. 74
I guess it’s like anything… Nothing of value seems to come without cost.
Filed under: Tangible Kingdom | Tagged: catalyst, community, serve, service, TKP Week 4
Brandon Hatmaker
Matthew Hansen
traypruet
As I have come to find out… COMMUNITY is something most of us already have somewhere, whether it be at work, at school, with the neighbors, softball team, club, service organization or elsewhere.
Community – A unified body of individuals, a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society
And the task of creating new community seems overwhelming to some people, while others cannot have enough communities.
But creating Community is something that Jenny and I have done for years, and it has become quite natural for us. Part of it may be our personalities (I’ll give you that) but another element is that we recognize that until people are connected on a deeper level than coming together once a week (for a game, a bible study, regularly scheduled meeting or work)…..community won’t happen. So here is our secret;
Set the tone – Make it fun, don’t be so serious (all the time), allow people to be themselves.
Intentionally make “dates” outside your normal parameter of meeting. – Movies, dinners, GNO’s, Bunko, Golf, Game Night, Sporting Events Etc.
Find things to talk about and do outside your already established grounds for commonality.
Share yourself – Help others with needs, make dinners, talk personally, introduce your friends
Cross pollenate – within your group, always be including those who aren’t naturally a part and those who are outside (if you want to grow your community)
One of the things we need to get over is feeling like we are inviting people to church. You have official ANC permission to Quit! Instead, let’s invite people to be a part of our lives, our COMMUNITY. Let’s have more friends. I promise….your friends will be intrigued with your entire lives, including your Faith Journey.
All of us need and desire community. We need the friendships and the support as well as the ability to support and care for others. Community however has to be intentional. You can’t just show up somewhere and all of a sudden become a community. Many people define community by location and who you spend your time around, but it is much more than that. It is opening up our hearts, our lives, our schedules, and being transparent with those around us. One of the biggest challenges I have seen in community is that it requires us to be selfless. Being a close community requires us to run up against other’s struggles, different personalities, and issues. We have to be open to serving and supporting, and many times offering guidance. There is no place for judgement or selfishness in community. Community when done right can sometimes even offer more support and comfort than our own families. (I’m not referring to my own family, but I have seen it.)
Community can’t also be locked down meaning we have to open to serving others outside of our community and open to having others join and visit our community. As believers that is our call.
Right on Brett!
Community – the best read I have done on Community is on Alan Hirsch/Michael Frost’s Communitas. If you get a chance to study that do it…the pictures that comes to mind is the ‘journeying community’ on the Lord of the Rings…the crew formed on Fight Club; Skywalker, Solo, Leia, Chewbacca in StarWars…it is something that is so deep that it cannot be compartmentalized, i.e. – we are going to community…the question I think I struggle with is, “How is that formed?” Erwin McManus asks a great question, “Do we choose community, or does the community choose us?” I know we all have our answers to that, but on a deeper level, its a great question. Friendships, I have them…Communitas, I long for it, it haunts me…it is a rarity…the questions on page 76/77, are answered, but I pray I do not just answer them and turn the page, I pray I allow them to eat at my soul…
“What are your hopes and fears as you think about the potential of being involved in a Christian community?” (pg. 77)
This reminds me of asking my kids about their lesson at church:
“What did you learn about?”
“Jesus.”
In Christian community – even when you’re seven – it is so easy to get stuck in cliches and rote language. This is my biggest fear/frustration about Christian community. And I’ve been in countless forms of it. I am very hungry for my community to be honest, a safe place where raw and complicated issues can be discussed without everyone defaulting to pat answers they know they’re “supposed to give.” I crave community that is not homogenous and predictable. I appreciate lively discussion and different perspectives.
I worry about bringing in a sojourner when I know they are going to hear ten versions of the same rhetoric from everyone. If we can live our real lives in front of each other – complete with our frustrations, different opinions, questions, and struggles – then I’ll be comfortable bringing someone disconnected from God into it.
good stuff Jen, I’m with you…
I have not read the book you describe Matthew, but the term ‘journeying community’ hits home. As I tried to answer the question, “Descibe a significant community experience” the one that came to mind was a journeying community. It was a work experience where a small number of folks came together to transform a large company. It is now almost 4 years since it happenend but when we talk, we all think of the moment as one of our treasured life experiences. The elements that made this special were:
a) We had a shared mission
b) We had similar values
c) We respected and appreciated the differences between us as individuals
In the end, the joy was watching transformation happen individually and across a large population of folks.
So Matthew – how is it formed? I guess the question for me is the following, “Does the mission form the community or does the community form the mission?” My prejudice would say that the mission forms the community, which is why it is so critical to get the mission right.
Alex, I agree with you completely, and have had very similar experiences… The last time for me was Russia ‘07….complete strangers on day one, intimate journeymen within a 4 day period….the community chose us and we were formed around a common mission, and ALL selfish and/or personal stuff took last place to the cause and community…thanks Alex
Matthew and Alex,
I can’t help but think about my time in the military. Whether it was basic training, advanced training, leadership school, or time with my team in Kaiserslautern Germany during the Bosnian Crisis… we always found a sense of community that seemed to cross all barriers.
Nothing was forced… mission was intentional… but community was a natural byproduct.
So, now the question I am stuck with (and don’t expect an answer) is how do we move to where we are truly communities that ‘happen’ or that are a natural byproduct of people on a common mission a common-unity (community). I am wrestling through a lot of this with a long time mentor/spiritual father of mine, and he emailed me back the follow:
sounds like perhaps God is stirring something in you about
this subject. On a personal note and how I have seen this play out in my life is that I find that community finds me. If I find find the community then it’s just like joining a club, after the new wears off, the thrill is gone. But when community finds me, then life flows, it’s more than filling a need, it’s finding life that’s common with us…I think that is what community is about, a common life that we help each other live, a life we share and struggle with and cry through and fight if we need to. One that we don’t and can’t just walk away from, but grow through they stretch us. Jesus said it like this..I’m in my Father, and my Father is in me, and you’re in me. and if you continue in me you have life. Jn gospel.
Anyway…I know we are on to day 3 or 4…but…