Reflections on Christopraxis

Practice 5: Community

To love God by loving others, which includes our neighborly associations, and as Jesus taught us, our enemies.  To participate in the fellowship of believers in Christ.

Key Verses:  Matt. 5:44; 22:39; John 13:34-35; 17:21; Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 2:17-22; 1 John 4:10-12; Heb. 10:24; 1 John 1:3-4; Isa 62:5

One the surface the practice of community may sound like an outward facing practice where we engage others.  However, as I hope to show, Christian community never strays far from our relationship to God and the transformation He is making in us. 

What is Christian Community?

The starting place in this discussion is to ask what we mean by "Community?"  In my recent post on "Rethinking Community" I explore this.  I note that is not so much what we do than how we do it and who we are in the context of community.  One point I want to make here is that by "Community" I am not referring to the many general forms of community that we might find in the world, no matter how Utopian their vision.  I am specifically speaking of community with a Christian distinctive. 

Who is the WE in Community?

The first question is to understand our identity within the context of community.  Who is the "WE" in the community?  How is our community distinctive?  How do we define ourselves?  To answer this, I went back to the Bible and found the following key verses.

So he [Christ Jesus] came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us [Jews and Gentiles] have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.  Ephesians 2:17–22

... we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.  1 John 1:3–4

For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.  Isaiah 62:5

Here are a few key features of the community described in the above verses:

• It exists in and through Christ Jesus.
• It involves joining previously estranged groups together.
• It is unified by the Holy Spirit of God.
• It is a part of the "household of God."
• It is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone.
• In Christ, the whole structure is joined together.
• It is growing into a holy temple -- a dwelling place for God.
• It includes is Trinitarian in that it is a fellowship with the Father and the Son, through the work of the Holy Spirit.
• We [individual believers] are a part of this spiritual community.
• This community is the Bride of Christ -- God's beloved (cf. Rev 21:9)

All of this clearly goes beyond the idea of a typical secular organization.  It is very theological.  You might be wondering if such ideas have any real practical impact on community besides being a mutually affirmed confession.  How does this work out in practice?  Good question!

Principles for Practicing Christian Community

Now that we have defined the identity of the community, we need to come the the point of this practice -- how do we do community?  Here I want to focus on the "how," not the "what."  By that, I mean I do not want to get into specific things we do, where we describe what it looks like.  Instead, I would like to provide some general principles for practicing Christian community.  Christian Community is:

• Loving (John 13:34-35, 1 John 4:10, 1 Cor 13).  Love permeates Christian community. 
• Sharing (Acts 2:42-47).  Resources and lives are shared.  We rejoice and celebrate together, and we grieve together. 
• Recognizes the Fellowship.  We need to recognize the fellowship of believers wherever we find it in all our associations.  The important point here is that our lives often connect with other Christians throughout the day.  We limit our community by trying to limit ourselves to one group of people within one local church body.  The above definition of community includes all professing believers.  We need to take the time to consider what God might be doing in bringing us together with the many other believers we come across in our lives.
• Open to "the Other."  God is growing the fellowship of believers, and has called us to extend our love to our neighbors and even our enemies.  The simple principle is that our community is to be open to those on the outside, not closed.  We need to also be open to the diversity within the community, whether it is racial, ethnic, gender, political, or any other type.  Christian community is not about being like each other and never disagreeing. 
• Practices Hospitality.  Here I am saying that we need to be available.  We need to be open and available to those in our community and those God brings to our community. We also need to be individually available to others.  That is how community starts to happen.
• Practices Abiding Love.  Here I am saying that we can practice the principles of Abiding Love within the context of community, as well as in our private devotions.  As a community, we can love our God, abide in love, love one another, and in so doing, live is perfected in us, and God dwells in us and us in him.  It is something real and experiential.
• Grows Its Individual Members.  God is at work in us, transforming us into the image of His Son.  The commands to love are not always easy to practice (cf. 1 Cor 13, Matt 16:24-25). As we learn to love one another, love is perfected, even as metal is refined in the fire.  We grow as we support each other in our struggles with sin.  We grow as we resolve conflicts with each other, and forgive each other.  We grow as we develop disciplining relationships.  We grow as we pray for each other, and participate in each others' healing and transformation.
• Promotes Unity in Our Diversity.  Forgiveness, agape love, redemption, and reconciliation all work together to promote a supernatural unity that testifies to Christ (John 17:21).
• Intentional.  By this, I do not mean that we must move into the same house or neighborhood, or join a monastic cloister.  Most of us cannot easily do those things.  What it does mean is that we must be intentional in our relationships.  It means we must be intentional in practicing these principles of community.  If we are not, then it will be as if we are hiding the light of God under a basket (Matt 5:14).
• Has a Servant Heart (Mark 9:35).  Community is not hierarchical, where the many serve the few.  It is not an anarchy where each one seeks what is right in their own eyes.  It is a paradoxical organism where the greatest is the least, and where each humbly seeks what is best for others.  This is also not a self depreciating thing, because we are each trusting God for our rewards.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list.  It highlights some of the critical components.  Indeed, all of the practices I list on this blog can promote community.  Being a disciple of Christ includes community.  Let God show you just how high, wide, and broad that can be (cf. Eph 3:14-21).

What Does Christianity Look Like?

Here is where some of my readers may be hoping that I will give you a list of things to do to make Christian community happen.  The truth is, I don't think I can do that.  Partly because I have not yet perfected such community, and partly because I think one of the problems in the Church today is where people are too confident in telling others what it looks like to do Community.  The Church is too big to be able to provide a single answer to such a question. 

One mistake that is frequently made is to universalize our experience for the whole Church.  By that I mean we take our experience and assume that what works for us must be applied to everyone else.  If we move into the inner city and become a part of some community, then we think that is the best way, and we subtly think others who do it differently may not quite understand what we have discovered.  That is universalizing our experience.  It is also naive to think that God is limited to working in just one way.  A survey of Church history will prove that God seems to delight in doing things differently, never doing things quite the same way more than once. 

Please don't take me wrong.  I am not saying urban intentional communities, monasticism, or new monasticism, or other such things are misguided.  I am just saying that we need to think bigger than those things.  The suburbs are full of lost, alienated, lonely, and needy people.  God's transforming Kingdom is needed there too!  The model for the village in Africa or India will not necessarily work for large cities such as Shanghai or Los Angeles.  Neither of those models will likely work for a small town in the Midwest America.  We need to let God show us the way, and that way starts with our individual lives -- our sitz im leben, or situation in life.

With this said as a kind of disclaimer, I will say that we should allow the examples of other to speak to us and to perhaps cause us to think beyond the boundaries of the familiar in our lives to see other possibilities.  Some will be able to pursue some form of intentional community.  However, there is much to be learned from such communities that can be applied in different contexts.  This is where the practice of the Sacrament of the Present Moment comes in.  We need to let God guide us, moment by moment.  Then we will discover the hidden treasures in our life and relationships. 

With this in mind, here are some general observations that I have alluded to so far.

• Take the above principles seriously and put them in practice.  You will find that opportunities will present themselves.
• Be available, open, and intentional about engaging others.
• Avoid gossip and divisive talk. 
• Seek to reconcile broken relationships, and heal offenses.  Seek to live the Lord's prayer (Matt. 6:9-15)
• Be intentional about reducing the time we spend in distracting idle activities.
• Re-evaluate our leisure and entertainment activities.  Are there opportunities to apply moderation?  Are there opportunities to include others?
• Us modern technology to help connect with people you would otherwise not be able to connect with.  For example, I have been able to use Skype to have free video conferences with my daughter who is traveling in India, and to talk with a friend living in The Netherlands.
• Promote relational discipleship.
• Open our homes to others in hospitality, or to live with you.
• Become more aware of the associations and relationships that surround you.  Who are your coworkers?  Who are your neighbors?  Ask God to open the door for deeper relationship.
• Promote these principles in your local church fellowship.

Well, that is a lot to consider.  I welcome comments or suggestions on this, or any of these practices.  To a large extent, this is new territory for many of us.  Just remember, it is God who is working in and through us (Phil. 2:13).  The key is to surrender to Him.

See the Mission, Vision, and Practices of Christ on this blog for more information.

Rethinking Community

Community is a big topic in the church these days.  The small group movement has been going strong for a long time, and in recent years New Monasticism and intentional communities have sprung up across the country.   There are many such communities in the Metro area where I live, and a number of people close to me have been a part of them.  The church I go to is a large church, and for a long time they have been trying to figure out how "grow small" with small groups and various forms of community.  Like many others, I have assumed that Acts 2:42-47 is the model we should pursue.  Recently, I have been re-thinking some of my assumptions on about this.  Yes, I said "re-thinking."

As a reminder, let's look at these verses:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.  Acts 2:42–47 ESV

What is Community?

Let me clarify what I mean by community.  I mean a more than going to watch a ball game, attending church, walking the dog and saying "Hi" to the neighbors, and voting in the elections.  By community, I mean a sharing of lives.  Community includes family, and it is the people you include when you celebrate graduations and marriages, and when you grieve the loss of a loved one.  Community includes the people who tell you what you need to know, even if you do not want to hear it.  It can be intentional or spontaneous.  It means being available, even if you are busy.  Humans need community to be healthy and to grow.    In Acts 2, we see community when they share meals together and study the scriptures, and when they sacrifice for each other.  Ideally, community is where love is, and scripture tells us that love is perfected as we love one another (1 John 4:12).  For Christians, community is a work of the Holy Spirit, as each indwelt believer is united by that same Spirit (Eph. 2:21-22) in the Love of God (John 17:21).  I elaborate on the practice of community in the Mission, Vision, and Practices post of this blog.  The post on the Practice of Community will provide some of my thoughts on how to do it.  Here, I want to reflect on how not to do it, and the challenges of doing it.

Rethinking Community

I said I was rethinking community.  The reason is that I have been discovering how hard it is to create community in 21st Century America.   As I have attempted community and watch others do community, we have struggled against many of the same things.  Recently, I have had a chance to hear about a community in another country that sounds a lot like the Acts 2 church.  There are a lot of similarities.  Then I started to realize the differences in what we have in America.  This caused me to take a fresh look at Acts 2, and as a result, I started to see some things I had not seen before. 

1st Century Community

Looking at Acts 2, we see a 1st Century people.  Many lacked affluence or were in poverty.  There were no governmental social programs.  They also grew increasingly isolated as the Jews rejected them, and the Roman Empire started to see them as a threat.  Poverty and persecution pushed them together.  People also tended to work during the day, so people's schedules were more consistent.  Work was also more task oriented.  You caught the fish, sold your goods in the market, built a house, shod the horse, harvested the grain, etc.  People lived relatively short distances from each other.   Finally, Jewish society practiced the Sabbath together consistently.  Life might have been hard, but it was simple.

21st Century Community

Contrast this to 21st Century America.  While we still have the poor with us, most enjoy a relative affluence.  Unlike what the futurists predicted, affluence has not freed us up to have more time for leisure.  Instead, people can work potentially around the clock, seven days a week.  Our work day is often measured by the hours we work, with a required minimum each week.  As a result, it is difficult to find times where people's schedules will allow them to get together.  The concepts of leisure and entertainment significantly impact the way we relate to each other, becoming more self-centered.  In the last 75 years, with the advent of TV, movies, and the Internet, we have virtually redefined entertainment.  There are health clubs, sports activities, outdoor sports and hobbies, indoor hobbies, and many other leisure activities.  Let's not forget the family activities:  school, sports, etc.  Then there is much greater distance between us, making it very difficult to consider anything spontaneous, even with advances in transportation.   In the West, for the most part we do not have any type of persecution of the church.   Clearly, it is a different world.  Can Acts 2 even exists within such a world?

When people consider these things, they look at the simplicity and richness of relationship in the early church, and wonder if we have perhaps lost something.  We see the alienation of our culture and the dysfunction of the government social systems, and wonder if perhaps we should be seeking a different way.  In all our affluence, should we not be able to again realize what the early church realized when people shared their resources so no one would be in need?   How can we return to the times of "home churches" and true community?  How do we do community today?

Remember, I said I was re-thinking community. On one hand, many of these above things that keep us busy and distracted can be put aside.  Surely, we can choose to live more simply, to share resources, and devote ourselves to the things of the Lord.  Yet, I am starting to question my assumptions on how we apply Biblical models from the early to community.  It is not always practical, or even possible, to move into close proximity with other believers in our local church.  Besides, what is the "church?"  Isn't it the spiritual fellowship of all believers?  If so, then perhaps we should seek to have fellowship with believers that are already around us, regardless of which local church body the belong to.  Our work schedules are what they are, and again, I question if it is even possible for all Christians to return to the land and rise and lay down with the sun. 

Often our work (or school) schedules seem to be at odds with our faith.  Some I know who are seeking to do intentional community are seeking to minimize work commitments outside the community.  While there might be some opportunity here for creative living, I wonder if we are missing another point scripture makes.  Consider the following verses:

"...to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one." 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12

"For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living."  2 Thessalonians 3:10–12

"The lazy person does not plow in season;
harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found."  Proverbs 20:4

"Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach. And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  1 Timothy 5:7–8

Now, I am not suggesting that we should not share resources.  Verses like Isaiah 58 make it clear that we do not please God unless we care for those in need.  However, we should not be quick to look down on an honest day's work, and those who care for their families, raise kids, and look to the needs of the generation to come.  Some contemporary authors make it sound like living in the suburbs is a kind of substandard life choice, where if we want to "really" follow Jesus, we must live "radical lives." I am sometimes concerned that in the name of being "radical" some people are forgetting some of the exhortations to attend to the duties alluded to in the above verses?  Not all of us can be called out of society for full time ministry.  Francis of Assisi recognized this when he started the order of Secular Franciscans. 

Getting and education and going about our daily work duties to earn a livelihood is a part of life in this world.  It is not in conflict with Biblical teachings, and indeed it can be a means of spiritual growth and humble service, was we practice Christ in our lives.

How We Live and Who We Are vs. What We Do

I am concluding that it is not so much as what we do by how we do it.  Are we aware of community opportunities that exist every day in our work, neighborhoods, families, and other associations?  Do we live simply, so we have resources to help others and to contribute to the work of the Kingdom of God?  Are we putting God first or the narcissistic god of consumerism?  Do we find our identity in Christ, and seek to live in the spiritual fellowship of Christ (Eph. 2:21-22)?  When viewed in this way, community becomes more easily within our reach!

Act 2, is often read these days in light of home groups.  However, much of it was not done within the context of the home, nor does it need to be.  Consider this:

• "They devoted themselves to the Apostle's teachings."  This is something we can do wherever we are these days.  We can study in Church and at home, and even at work.  We can study on the Internet, and buy books and download sermons.  Scriptures are readily available.
• "And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles."  Community, Bible study, fellowship, and helping the poor are all good things, but this early community was a conduit for the Kingdom of God to break into the world.  Amazing things happened through these Holy Spirit empowered believers.  Sometimes we get caught up with the busyness of activities, like Martha, and forget to sit a the Lord's feet or to step out "onto the waves" when our Lord calls us to him.
• "...attending the Temple together..."  Often when we hear Acts 2 preached it is in the context of small groups and house churches.  Yes, they went from house to house, but today I noticed they hung out at the temple.  The Acts 2 believers came together at the Temple -- the "mega-synagogue" of Jerusalem.

My point here is to not that we do not have to be critical of the forms in the traditional American Christianity.  Large group gatherings, Bible studies, care ministries, formal teaching and preaching, worship, missions -- all are a part of the the fellowship of the saints.  We should be thankful and praise God for what we have. The challenge is to find community in the context we find ourselves in this day and age.  That is more a matter of who we are and how we live life, than what we do.

Also, my point is that in other places in the world, people may be living more closely to the way they lived in the 1st Century.  Poverty and persecution may constrain, but often, it provides a fertile environment for the Church to grow, as it did in the Acts 2.  In these cases, spontaneous community very similar to early Christianity is much easier to achieve.  Perhaps that is God's gift to them in the midst of their trials.  Yet, even today, many of these communities must work this out in the large metropolitan areas of the world, which are influenced by modern economics and distractions.

Conclusion

Our society works against true community.  I have no easy answers to solving the problem, though I think the concepts in the Practices identified in this blog will help us find the way.  A small number of people can do monastic communities, others might choose some form of limited intentional community, such as has be done by the Anabaptist.    Yet, for the vast majority of the followers of Jesus in America, we struggle with finding balance and moderation.  We struggle with isolation in the suburbs and the busyness of our lives.   We are separated from our fellow church members by distance.  Our schedules are consumed with things, like idols, crying out for our time and devotion. Voices call us to be "radical" but often miss the truly radical nature of merely being in Christ, moment by moment as we go about our daily lives.

What Does It Mean to Lead in the Community?

Today, I was reading Dallas Willard's book, Hearing God, and I came upon this paragraph:

From the humility and generosity of his great heart, Moses said, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" (Num 11:29.  But this might be a mixed blessing, for one further serious objection to individual believers' living in a conversational relationship with God comes from a feeling that this would lead to chaos in the church, the community of believers, and that therefore it should not happen.  (p. 80)

It struck me that the Lord has indeed put his spirit in every believer. 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  1 Peter 2:9

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Has this caused chaos in the church?   Willard speaks well to the issue of how people in the church have confused the world's way of defining leaders, and rather than being wise shepherds, are more like sheep dogs, nipping at the heals of the sheep to get them to to go as they think they should.  I want to address a couple observations of my own, but first, I would like Willard to again set the proper context.

We are to lead "willingly," not "for sordid gain.... Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock" (1 Pet 5:2-3).  We are indeed to be "the servant of all" (Mk 9:35); redemptive mutual submission (Eph 5:21) is achieved in this way. (p.81)

I am reminded of Misty Edwards' wonderful song, "Servant of All."  You can find a version of it on her Relentless album, and an acoustic version on her Unplugged album, but here is a video of her doing the song, along with the lyrics.

Servant Of All - Misty Edwards from Forerunner Music on Vimeo.

I wanna be Your lover;
So show me how to go lower.
For in the depths I will find You;
Where You’re serving my brother.

I wanna be Your lover;
Show me how to go lower.
For in the depths I will find You;
Where You’re serving my bro ‐ ther.
I wanna be with You, where You are;
I wanna be with You, where You are.
I wanna be with You, where You are;
You’re the servant of all.

I’m in love with a king
Who became a slave;
I’m in love with a God
Who is humble.
You gotta go down
If you wanna go up,
And you’ve gotta go lower,
If you wanna go higher and higher.
You’ve gotta hide,
Do it in secret
If you wanna be seen by God.

It’s the inside, outside, upside down kingdom,
Where you lose to gain,
And you die to live.

It’s the inside, outside, upside down kingdom,
Where you lose to gain,
And you die to live.
I wanna be with You, where You are;
I wanna be with You, where You are.
I wanna be with You, where You are;
You’re the servant of all.
I wanna be with You, where You are;
I wanna be with You, where You are.
I wanna be with You, where You are;
You’re the servant of all.
I wanna be where You are.

With this in mind, I would like to address two questions:

What does it mean to lead?

A while back a co-worker of mine gave a rather unsuccessful presentation.  Clearly, a "redo" was in order, but my first reaction was to "do it myself."  Instead, I carefully gathered input on what happened, and talked it over with my coworker.  There were opportunities for them to do better, but there were also opportunities for the team to better define that kind of activity, and those of us in "leadership" could have been more clear about what was needed.  Most challenging of all, I had to try to help my coworker gain some of the wisdom that I had from my greater experience.  In the end, we came up with a plan that would allow the team to improve our processes and procedures, allow my coworker to do a "redo" in a way that will re-establish some (well deserved) credibility, and lay the groundwork for the next phase of the project.  In short, I had to lead my coworker and team in a way that allowed growth, learning from mistakes, and development of their own "leadership" skills.  If I had just "done it myself," then I would be stuck with having to do that work in the future.  However, by working with my coworker, I was replicating my skills and experience. 

All too often it seems that "leaders" in the church do not know how to lead and make disciples.  This is perhaps because they never learned how to be disciples.  In any case, the Lord does not give his Holy Spirit to us so only a few can stand alone above the crowd.  He gives us his Holy Spirit to help us to come along side Him in the work He is doing.  His goal is to transform us from broken, self-centered, manipulative, dysfunctional, slaves to sin, into children of God.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1 – 2

Another aspect of leadership is to energize and inspire others.  If we take the world's top down model, we put our leaders on a pedestal; "knowing all" and not allowed to fail.  Yet even in the world, true leaders do not lead this way.  It is the very fact that each believer has the Holy Spirit in them that demands leaders respect everyone in the community.  You can not do this if you have the mindset of a king or CEO, or if you do not see beyond the failures to the potential each person has in Christ.  It is much easier to do if the leader has the mind of the servant.  We must live in such a way as to inspire others toward the Lord's vision and cause.  Mother Teresa comes to mind.

A wise leader knows their limitations.  God has made us wonderfully diverse, and has uniquely gifted us each differently, according to the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12).  In God's kingdom, we need each other.  We need to listen to each other, pray for, encourage, and support each other.  We need to be prepared for God to speak to and lead us in unexpected ways, even if it appears to be coming from a donkey (see Num 22:21-35; Note: it was Balaam, not the donkey, that was the ass in this situation).

I am reminded of a pastor friend of mine who described the dynamics of the local church's elder board.  They had a rule that the board had to be in unanimous agreement before a decision was made.  There was often one person who would disagree.  Sometimes it would take a long time for this one to "come around," but my friend observes in hindsight, that this would always result in the right decisions being made, at the right time.  Often the Lord is doing things we do not see, or sees things we do not, and He uses the decenters and obstacles to lead us into the right path and right time.

How should we respond as individual believers filled with the Holy Spirit in our Community?

If we are all filled with the Spirit of God, and capable of having a conversational relationship with Him, should that necessarily lead to chaos and justify a type of anarchy within the community?  I would like to make a number of observations.

• 1 Peter 2:9 speaks of a "priesthood," "a chosen race," and "a holy nation."  It is speaking corporately -- in terms of community.  This suggests that we are called to act together, not separately. 
• If the same Spirit is in each of us, then we should not expect different answers to the same question.  God is not the Spirit of confusion.  We need to listen to what is being said, and seek understanding.  Sometimes what seems to be in conflict is really "different parts of the elephant" (thinking of the story of the blind men describing an elephant).
• Sometimes what God is speaking to us about is not what he wants to speak to the Body of believers about.  We need to learn to discern what is for us, and what is for the community as a whole.
• Our vision and heart's desire is not necessarily what God wants for everyone else.  It is easy want to make our "causes" everyone's cause.  If the community "does not get" our cause, it may be an opportunity for us to lead.  In some cases, God might lead us to a different community who is do a work more in line with what He would like us to do.  We need to seek to discern what God is saying and doing, or we will miss an opportunity.  In either case, how we respond will impact the community for good, or not.  Always respond in love.
• Resist the temptation to universalize our experience onto everyone else.  Be open to God working differently through other people and groups.
• Seek to leverage the differences and each others strengths and gifts, so we can together achieve what we cannot achieve on our own.  Embrace the differences.
• God's kingdom does not work on principles of anarchy or even democracy.  Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches (cf. Rev 2 and 3).  Watch for those who seem to be hearing God at the moment, and then ask God to confirm the Word, if it is from Him. 
• Support and pray for those in leadership.
• Practice Christ and follow Him.  He should be our distinctive, so when people see us, they see Him.
• Do not neglect our own individual walks with God. 
• We can lead, even if we are not in a position of leadership.

I suspect I could continue one with many more bullets, but my intent was to define a context where we as individuals in the Community, as well as those who find themselves serving as leaders, can allow God to build his Kingdom and the Church, which his the Body of Christ, keeping our Lord's prayer in mind.

And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.  “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:19 – 21

Church in the Spirit

I am continuing my way through Jürgen Moltmann's autobiography, A Broad Place.  In the chapter where he discusses writing his book, The Church in the Power of the Spirit, he says this:

In the ancient world, the church already took on a patriarchal form in the post-apostolic era once it acquired the 'monarchical episcopate':  God the Father is represented by the bishop, as the father of his community.  ... In the sixteenth century, in a contrary movement, the Reformers introduced the christocentric principle.  Christ stands at the centre of the congregation as the first-born among many brothers and sisters.  In fellowship with him they are free and equal.  But in the church of the Spirit, the congregation is made up of different charismatically endowed people: there are many gifts but one Spirit.  A plurality of powers and functions makes the spiritually endowed congregation a source of life for many people.  It is only the church of the Spirit that fully opens up the Trinitarian mystery of God.  (p. 204ff)

This to me is a profound observation.  It points to a way that the church can to day represent a prophetic community that cannot be duplicated by any philosophy in this world.  It also points to the cause of some problems found in the church today, where they hold to forms that fail to recognize what the church in the Spirit can truly be.

Is Theology Apolictical?

In recent years there has been a lot written about the kingdom of God vs the kingdom of this world.  Greg Boyd, for instance, wrote The Myth of the Christian Nation, in an attempt to make a distinction between the ways of those two kingdoms.  Boyd rightly shows that the way of the kingdom of God is antithetical to the way of the kingdom of the world.   The Mennonites, also emphasize our allegiance to the kingdom of God over that of the kingdoms of this world.  Indeed, often the ways of the world are in direct opposition to the vision of the kingdom of God.  However, can we really separate ourselves from the world to the extent that we can live in a purely kingdom of God way? 

I am reading Jügen Moltmann's book, A Broad Place: An Autobiography, and in it I ran into the following two observations:

'Theology at the charge of the church' is good and valuable, but theology at the charge of the kingdom of God goes further than that and reaches beyond the bounds of the church out into the world, into politics, society, culture -- and also in the universities, the home of the humanities and sciences. (p. 94)

Moltmann's point is that there is a place for theology in a secular university.  However, he correctly observes that the kingdom of God goes further than the church.  As God's people live as God teaches us, we must necessarily impact the world, society, culture, and politics.  The Catholic theologian, Johann Baptist Metz makes the following decisive observation.

'Every eschatological theology must become a political theology, in the form of a theology that is socially critical.'  (p. 108, Moltmann, quoting Metz)

This speaks to an issue that I have been struggling with for quite a while.  Should Christians completely opt out of government and politics?  If we do, then are we ceding the world to those who might not have the same commitment to justice?  Scripture teaches that God holds nations, and the people in them, accountable for they way the treat the poor, needy, and oppressed.  How can we live in prophetic community, being energized toward God's freedom and justice (see my other posts on prophetic imagination), and not at the same time engage the injustice and bondage being imposed on people in this world today? If we engage these things, then we will inevitably find ourselves standing against one political side or another, or both.  If we have success in alleviating some of the injustice, we will most likely have changed the political landscape. 

Many of the contemporary movements such as New Monasticism challenge the Church to live out prophetic community, standing against the dominant culture.  The New Monasticism movement certainly stands critical of our society.  Proponents of a radical lifestyle based on Jesus' kingdom of God teachings are advocating a lifestyle based on an eschatological theology.  The kingdom of God is now, but not yet.  It is not something we can make happen in our own efforts, so it is something that looks by faith to the promises of God.  Yet, it is also breaking into the world, now.

If Metz is right, and I believe he is, then those of us desiring to live in prophetic community must do so in a way that engages all of life in this world.  Yes, the choices and methods we use will often be different.  However, we must realize that the kingdom of God intersects this world within the spirit of man.  When we try to make a distinction between people and governments, or people and corporations, we do so at the expense of the people who make up those governments and corporations.  It has always about people and the choices they make in relation to God and His ways. 

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1 – 2

What Is the Church?

A while back I started writing on the church, with the intent on exploring what it is from the Christian perspective.  While reading, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, by N. T. Wright, I came across this compact definition in the chapter called, "Believing and Belonging"

"The church is the single, multiethnic family promised by the creator God to Abraham.  It was brought into being through Israel's Messiah, Jesus; it was energized by God's Spirit; it was called to bring the transformative news of God's rescuing justice to the whole creation."  (p. 200)

I would change this to say "it is energized..." and "it is called..."  since that process is still going on.  That said, I liked the summary.  Wright continues to explore the church using a number of helpful metaphors found in scripture.  He looks at it as a river, a tree, and a family.  He does well to redirect our thinking beyond the many outer forms that divide and confuse, and focus it on the heart of the Biblical narrative.  Within this context, it is easy to see the church as the prophetic community it was meant to be.

Being With God Through the Prophets

I am reading The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel.  His insights on the writers of the prophetic writings in the Hebrew Bible are helpful in understanding that genre as well as expressing the fact that we can find God, revealed in the prophets.  Heschel is quickly becoming a favorite author.  This following excerpts fit well with my previous post on being "With God."

"The gods attend to great matters; they neglect small ones, " Cicero maintains.  According to Aristotle , the gods are not concerned at all with the dispensation of good and bad fortune or external things.  To the prophet, however, no subject is as worthy of consideration as the plight of man.  Indeed, God Himself is described as reflecting over the plight of man rather than as contemplating eternal ideas.   p. 5

The words of the prophet are stern, sour, stinging.  But behind his austerity is love and compassion for mankind. ... Indeed, every prediction of disaster is in itself an exhortation to repentance.  ... He [the prophet] begins with a message of doom; he concludes with a message of hope.  The prominent theme is exhortation, not mere prediction.  p. 12

There is an interaction between man and God which to disregard is an act of insolence.  Isolation is a fairy tale.  ... In the Bible the realness of God came first, and the task was how to live in a way compatible with His presence.  Man's coexistence with God determines the course of history.  p. 16

Yet the purpose of prophecy is to conquer callousness, to change the inner man as well as to revolutionize history. p. 17

The prophet's eye is directed to the contemporary scene; the society and its conduct are the main theme of his speeches.  Yet his ear is inclined to God. ... He is a person who stands in the presence of God (Jer. 15:19), who stands "in the council of the Lord" (Jer. 23:18), who is a participant, as it were, in the council of God, not a bearer of dispatches whose function is limited to being sent on errands. p. 21 ...

When the secret is revealed is one of woe, the prophet does not hesitate to challenge the intention of the Lord: 

O Lord God, forgive, I beseech Thee!
How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!  Amos 7:2

When the lives of others are at stake, the prophets does not say, "Thy will be done!" but rather, "Thy will be changed."

The Lord repented concerning this;
It shall not be, said the Lord.  Amos 7:3 ...

The prophet not only conveys; he reveals.  He almost does unto others what God does unto him.  In speaking, the prophet reveals God.  This is the marvel of a prophet's work:  in his words, the invisible God becomes audible. ... The authority of the prophet is in the Presence his words reveal. p. 21-22

The ultimate object and theme of his consciousness is God, of Whom the prophet knows that above His judgment and above His anger stands His mercy.   The prophetic utterance has, therefore, no finality. p 23

The prophet is not only a censurer and accuser, but also a defender and consoler. ...  In the presences of God he takes the part of the people.  In the presence of the people he takes the part of God.  It would be wrong to maintain that the prophet is a person who plays the role of "the third party"... God is the focal point of his thought, and world is seen as reflected in God.  Indeed, the main task of prophetic thinking is to bring the world into divine focus.   ...  He dwells upon a divine pathos, not just a divine judgment.  The pages of the prophetic writings are filled with echos of divine love and disappointment, mercy and indignation.  The God of Israel is never impersonal.  p. 24

The prophet is not a mouthpiece, but a person; not an instrument, but a partner, an associate of God. p. 25

The emotional experience of the prophet becomes the focal point for the prophet's understanding of God.  He lives not only his personal life, but also the life of God.  The prophet hears God's voice and feels His heart.  He tries to impart the pathos of the message together with its logos.  As an imparter his soul overflows, speaking as he does out of the fullness of his sympathy. p. 26

I am a big fan of Heschel.  The above should help us better see the heart of the prophet's message when reading the their words.  However, it also illustrates one of the ways in which God makes himself known to us.  As a result, it can help us better understand what it means to be "with God." If we miss the divine pathos, we miss one of the primary points of scripture.  I definitely recommend Heschel's book.

Arts in the Margins

Two of my daughters and my son in-law have moved into an area of poverty in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a group of other young people.  These young people are joining a group of Christians who seek to follow Jesus into the margins of society.  One such group that has inspired many others is The Simple Way.  These communities are springing up all over the world (See the Community of Communities web site.), as my book review on The New Friars describes.

Living in intentional community with others is in itself a challenge.  People can be difficult to get along with, each with their own particular likes and dislikes, opinions, and other personality quirks.  This is compounded by the fact that the American Dream is notoriously narcissistic.  Even within the church, the idea of sharing things in common and living together in covenant community is often limited to the second chapter of the book of Acts. 

I am inspired by the faith and example of these young people.  They are taking small steps, trying to discover how they can partner with Christ to have God's will take place in these marginal places, as it is in heaven. 

Tonight they had an arts night.  They pulled together a bunch of original arts and crafts to sell, with the proceeds to go to various charitable causes.  Guests were asked to bring non-perishable food items, which will be donated to the church food shelf.  About fifty people showed up, most of them between 18 and 30, though a few of us "young at heart" people showed up, venturing out of our suburban sanctuaries.  The night concluded with poetry reading and a number of people sang some original songs, accompanied by guitar.  It was a good example of the practice of Christ, expressing God's concern for those in the margins and expressing the creative nature that God put in us when he made us in His image and likeness.

People Get Ready?

This year's International House of Prayer (IHOP) Onething 08 conference has its focus the Book of Revelation, and the return of Christ.  This is not a new thing for IHOP, but this year, they are bringing that theme forward in this conference, as they sense that the next couple decades will be some of the most significant in history.  No, they are not saying that Christ will return in 20 years, but they are saying that it is time to get ready for His return.  What are we to think of this? 

Misty Edwards has a song called, "People Get Ready," where she sings about the return of Jesus Christ.  I am entitling this blog entry, "People Get Ready?" with a question mark, because of the mixed responses I get from people when they hear about people taking this stuff seriously.  Honestly, my own reaction has been mixed, as I will describe, below. 

You might be wondering if I am getting distracted from that promised entry on the Church.  Well, not really.  One of the topics I have been circling around is the distinctiveness of God's people -- or at least the distinctiveness they should have.  Brueggemann calls this Prophetic Community.  As a review, he does not mean "prophetic" as in fore-telling the future, but more as a role the prophet plays in his or her society.  The prophet stands in criticism of the dominant culture and engergizes toward the alternative of God's freedom and justice.  A prophetic community represents the alternative of God's freedom and justice, and as such, it stands in criticism of the dominant culture.  The Church, as the Body of Christ, should be such a distinctive prophetic community.  Hold that thought while I continue on topic.

The first reaction to the idea of Christ -- the same Jesus that died on the cross 2,000 years ago, the Jewish man -- returning is that of unbelief.  "Oh common, you don't really believe that!"  If they are honest, many in the church do not really expect to see that day in their lifetime, or nor in the lifetime of the generation to come.  Yet, as followers of Jesus we are called to have that expectation.  Even as the book was written, Revelation ends with:

      The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
      And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”     
                                                                   Revelation 22:17
 
This tells us that the Spirit of God and the bride, who is the Church, are saying, "Come."  That should be our expectation.  Jesus taught us as much, even if a thousand years is like a day to the Lord (2 Peter 3:8).  The position of unbelief is not an option for a follower of Jesus.

Another form of unbelief is the "Sargent Schultz" response.  The lovable sargent in the TV show, Hogan's Heros would always say, when he saw something it did not like, "I see nothing."    This is like the people Misty sings about in her song, "with fingers in their ears, saying naanaanaanaa."  Some read the book and see what is going on in the world, but just hope it all goes away.  Alas, this too is not an option for a follower of Jesus. 

If we believe the Bible, then we must know that things will not be set right until He does return.  We need to realize that all those bad things in the world will not change for good until God sets them right.  Until then, the battle goes on.  It seems that so often today we chose a harder way, to avoid the hard way. 

As I struggled with this whole topic, I came to the conclusion that, yes, indeed Jesus will return.  The same Jesus, will return, just as he left (Acts 1:11).  We must expect him at the unexpected time (1 Thessalonians 5:2).  The Bible also tells us that we should not be caught by surprise.

But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  1 Thessalonians 5:4 – 8

If Jesus will return, then what should the Church do?  What is expected of us?  These questions must be answered if we are going to understand the implications of the call, "People Get Ready."  To answer this question, we must determine where the Church will be.  This is because in the last 150 years or so, there have been some who think the Church will be removed (or "raptured") from the earth before the tribulation described in Revelation.  (I know, I am starting to talk about that wierd scary stuff.  I'm sorry, bear with me for a bit more.)  The thing is, while there is general agreement about the "rapture of the saints" there is not agreement about when it will take place.  As popular as the "Left Behind" series is, there are many reasons to believe that the rapture will happen after the tribulation when Jesus returns.  As a result, the Church will go through those events. 

With this in mind, there are two possible responses for the Church to the call, "People Get Ready."  In the one case, the Church must be prepared to preach the gospel as a warning before they are removed, and in the other case, the Church might need a very different kind of preparation.  In the case of IHOP, and myself, we reject the pre-trib position and hold to the belief that the Church will go through the events in the Book of Revelation.  Preparation for that includes teaching the gospel, afterall we are told to "disciple the nations" (Matthew 28:18-20).  However, it also includes the kind of preparation that includes following Jesus in his life and teachings (Luke 9:23-25, Phillipians 2:5).

As a side-bar, we often refer to these eschatological events as the "end times."   However, it is not clear that things really will come to the end.  In fact, it seems the earth will continue on for quite a long time.  I think this distinction is important.  In reading the Book of Revelation, we need to see that there are good things that happen as well as the judgements.  This kind of apocalyptic literature always ends with hope.

"Alright, enough of this wild-eyed talk."  What about the times?  Is there any reason to even be thinking of this?  Well, yes, I think there are a number of reasons to be considering the decades to come as being some of the most signficant in history, if not eschatological, in proportion.  Here are a few that come to my mind.

• Globalization.  We are seeing all the boundaries between the countries removed, due to modern travel and communications.  This is changing the way we live and interact with each other.  An event in one part of the world really does have repercussions around the world.
• The Information Age.  With the advent of the Internet and the Information Age, we have access to more information than ever before.  Communications are truly on a global scale.  I weekly communicate with people in around the world.  
• While some of the Biblical signs are not there, many are, and it is easy to conceive of the others appearing within a generation.
• With the advent of Globalization and the Information Age, the Church is coming as close to the Lord's goal of reaching all the nations.  It is no long a European or American thing.  God's people are mobilized globally.
• With the advent of Globalization, there is a corresponding spread of evil and suffering.  Weapons of warfare are more imposing and deadly.  Sin of every kind more is more rampit, facilitated by the communications and global commerace of the Internet.  Human trafficing is on the rise.  Suffering and oppression are found in almost every country.  Certainly, we live in a time where the God of the universe must be truly grieved. 
• At the same time, we are at the verge of a global "man-made" peace.  As in Revelation, the nations are striving together for a man-made peace.  All that is needed are the "right leaders."  However, man-made peace typically has no tolerance for people who believe in One God who is creator and judge of the universe.  That peace will set the stage for persecution of the Church, as is already happening in a smaller scale around the world. 

As I review this, I am struck at just how plausable this all is.  We do not need God to push things over the edge, we are pushing things along all by ourselves.  The prospect of global economic colaspe is conceivable, which in itself could trigger cataclismic consequences.  Yet, there is a God of the universe that has a say in what happens, and we who profess belief in Him need to take a honest look at the times, even if we do not like what we see. 

This brings me to the title of this entry.  Are we ready for what is to come, eschalogical or otherwise?  Is the Church ready?  What will Jesus say to the Church if he were to come back today?  Honestly, I am convinced that we are not ready, and the Church (in America, at least) is certainly not ready.  We are, as Brueggemann says, "so largely enculturated to the American ethos of consumerism that it [the church] has little power to believe or act."  We are "just hoping to get through this" and hoping that the next political party will "fix things."  Yet the wise will see with different eyes.  We are in desparate need for the Church to be the prophetic community God intented it to be.

People Get Ready

So, what do we do?  What does it mean for people to "get ready."  In many ways, it means what it has always meant.  We are to individually repent of our sinful, narcisistic, ways (Philipians 4:8-9; 1 John 1:8-10).  We are to renew our relationship with God, which starts by studying the scriptures -- "eat the scroll," as the IHOP people often admonish us in song and word (Psalms 119:12-20).  We are to love God with all our hearts, mind, and soul, and our neighbors as ourselves, as Jesus taught (Matthew 22:27-40; 1 John 3:18, 4:7-17).  We are to practice Christ, as Jesus taught, helping the poor, needy, oppressed, and afflicted (cf. Matthew 5-7).  We need to take up our cross and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23-25).  We need to embrace our roll as ministers of reconcilliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

We need to do this and more.   IHOP has raised an important question.  If we will see the Lord's return, then what does God expect of us?  Could there be some things He wants His Church to do, besides "rapture practice?"  (Rapture practice:  Humorous reference to grabbing as many as you can on your way up.)  Could it be that if we expected to go through the eschatological events and if we expected to actually see these times in our generation, that we would read the Bible a bit differently?  Would we live a bit differently?  IHOP says yes.

When it comes down to it, what IHOP is talking about is not wide-eye prophetic pronouncments, or escapeism.  They are simply looking a the times and the state of the Church and saying, "we are not ready."  ("We," including themselves.)  They are realizing, along with so many others, that the Church today is not yet ready for what is likely to come.  We do not have the maturity for it. They are also seeing that the Church has a prophetic role to play in the world, and especially in the eschalogical times.  The theme of prayer, intercession, worship and devotion to God, standing in the gap for the poor and oppressed all go together.  Like John the Baptist, they see the Churches role as a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3).  Interesting thought.  Could God intend for His Church to be forerunners?

God's plan is not just to exercise His wrath, and wreak distruction.  As always, God is desiring redemption of the World.  He wants to draw all to himself and set things right.  This is still his goal.  As with every prophecy of distruction, there is a word of hope.  We need to fix our eyes on that hope, and prepare ourselves as followers of Christ, as a people of love.

One last question.  What if Christ does not return in our generation?  Fair question.  Well, as I see it, if we respond to the call, "People Get Ready," and we seek to be a devoted follower of Jesus, then we will be as Jesus was in the world (2 Corinthians 3:18), and the following will continue to be realized as the Kingdom of God moves forth.

      The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
      because the LORD has anointed me;
      he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
      to bind up the brokenhearted,
      to proclaim liberty to the captives,
      and release to the prisoners;
      to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor,
      and the day of vengeance of our God;
      to comfort all who mourn;
      to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
      to give them a garland instead of ashes,
      the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
      the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
      They will be called oaks of righteousness,
      the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.
                                                         Isaiah 61:1 – 3

In my way of thinking, that is not all that bad.  As I reflected on these things, I find that it makes a lot of sense for IHOP to be challenging us in this way in these times.  It is both Biblical, and reasonable.  My own response has been three-fold.

Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:5 – 7

It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.  Colossians 1:28 – 29

“It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
      The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
      And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
      And let everyone who is thirsty come.
      Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.  Revelation 22:16 – 17

___________________

For those interested, the IHOP Onething 08 conference at the time of this writing was available for free at the IHOP web site, along with many of the teaching hand-outs.  I am still going through some of the sessions, but anything with Misty Edwards singing or speaking is highly recommended.