Here is the question. What other forms of community are possible, that can meet the needs of different groups of people, and remain true to the ideal of devotion to Christ, and to one another ? Please weigh in.
Monday, October 3, 2011
New Ways of Community
Bob Edwards left a comment on this post, wondering about a more contemporary expression of community beyond the "going house to house" of the first century church, especially for those with limited mobility. He made the point that we can be blinded to new ideas by trying to hold on to a form that doesn't necessarily work as well in the 21st Century. I believe that the form is not as important as having devotion to Jesus, and to one another.
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4 comments:
Suspect that folks don't have many ideas on this Fred but I hope that they do!
Well, maybe they are thinking. :)
Not sure I'm qualified to answer this question, but I have to wonder if the reason we can't break out of the box is due in part to where we place our "devotion."
We find ourselves "devoted" to a building, predictable patterns...Sunday School before church, Wed night services, ladies prayer coffee, mens' Sat. morning breakfast. I've started to call this a Stepford Wives version of church.
Strip away the buildings, traditions, etc. and what do you have? What would that look like?
I agree devotion to Christ must come first. The form? I'm not sure.
This past Sunday we left the building and went out into our community. We worked alongside another family and cleared away years of neglect from an unemployed lady's yard. We shared a sandwich with her for lunch and invited her to a join us for a devotion. Standing in the cold, right in her yard, we worshiped. We invited her to join us for worship that evening. She said she was not comfortable around people. She suffers from agoraphobia. She wanted to worship but wasn't sure her anxieties would allow her to participate. I've thought about her all week.
I don't have any firm answers...but I am thinking and praying :)
Thanks for your thoughts. I believe anyone in the Body of Christ is qualified to give an answer. :) I'm beginning to think that community can take any number of forms if we are devoted to Christ and to each other, not buildings or programs. I believe that our primary community will be those we gather with for corporate worship, but we can (and probably must) find community with others outside that.
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