Everything That's On My Mind - Community

What ever happened to community?

Pastor Bob — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 01:11:11 GMT

Dan Edelen over at Cerulean Sanctum has started another series called "Unshackling the American Church." Dan can be a bit of a curmudgeon sometimes (no offense meant, Dan) but he always makes you think and I appreciate that. His latest post is a full-course buffet of food for thought. Dan can also be a bit paradoxical at times, using a technology like blogging to warn us of the evils of technology, but he has a valid point. Technology must be a tool we use when needed, not a fixation that rules our lives.

He also makes an interesting point about "home-based economies" that I need to give more thought. I think a "home-based economy" is more than just people working out of their homes, but I think that's certainly a move in the right direction. That idea seems to perpetuate the paradox, since it is generally technology that enables people to more easily work from home. The key, once again, is to not allow the technology to rule over us. If you're working from home but still working 12 hours a day, how is that an improvement?

Dan also goes off on consumerism and materialism, of course, but it isn't always that simple. Our economy, the cost of housing and energy in particular, is such that it is difficult for many to simply make ends meet. I think local churches need to find ways to create their own "micro-economies." I'm not talking about Waco-style communes, but I am talking about having more of an Acts 4:32 mindset. We're no longer an agrarian economy so we can't completely duplicate the first century church (apologies to Frank Viola), but we must find our own way within our current culture to share our lives more fully. I've seen the beginnings of this in our church, and I pray it continues.

Communal Faith

Pastor Bob — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:56:55 GMT

I have a love/hate relationship with academic studies and marketing research. Obviously I believe in the usefulness of research to verify assumptions, but I find it ridiculous that our society seems to need an academic study to determine if the sun shines. That being said, I appreciate George Barna's newsletter and the research that he does, even if his conclusions can be frustrating at times. His most recent findings fall into that category, confirming what I've said for years. American Christianity has succumbed to the individualistic nature of our society. American Christians no longer believe the community of believers is a critical component of their faith.

This trend has been obvious for years. The over-used phrase "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" is a perfect example of the mentality of many Christians. "It's a personal thing," they say; "just between me and God." The problem is, that's totally wrong. Scripture makes it infinitely clear that our faith is a communal activity. We are not effectively part of "the body of Christ" sitting at home watching Joel Osteen on the TV. For iron to sharpen iron (Proverbs 27:17), we must be involved in each other's lives on a regular basis. The early church met together daily, we have a hard time fitting one hour a week into our schedules. No wonder our faith lacks power.

What is needed is not just attendance at regular church services, although it does start there. Real first century-style Christianity requires real community. Real community takes time, and time is one commodity that most of us are very unwilling to part with. It's easy to blame our society and economy for making us too busy, but the truth is we make our lifestyle choices and then consider how to cultivate our faith as an afterthought. Barna states it quite well:

"We want to be ‘spiritual’ and we want to have God’s favor, but we’re not sure we want Him taking control of our lives and messing with the image and outcomes we’ve worked so hard to produce."

If we truly want to see the power of God at work in our lives, we need to commit to the kind of communal faith that can truly have an impact on us and those around us. That kind of commitment requires sacrifice, and that is one word we all hate to hear.

Super All Year

Pastor Bob — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 20:04:02 GMT

Whether he knows it or not, Mitch Albom is doing God's work. If you haven't read his recent articles in the Free Press, check them out. I love football as much as anyone, but Mitch is right. It just seems so wrong that all these decadent parties crammed with millionaires are going on in downtown Detroit this weekend when so many homeless are crammed into shelters just a few miles away.

I hope having the Super Bowl here is a great boost for the city of Detroit, but I pray it also raises awareness and lots of money for the folks who care for the homeless. Mitch has started the "Super All Year" campaign to raise funds for the Detroit Rescue Mission. You can donate online here.

Consider yourself at home, consider yourself one of the family

Pastor Bob — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 19:38:16 GMT

There's a good entry today over at Out of Ur concerning the practice of hospitality. Unfortunately, I think the author goes out of his way to get in "digs" at the seeker-sensitive methodology. Once again I feel the need to say, "We're all on the same team, people." Despite the negativity, I think his positive point is well taken. Hospitality is a biblical imperative that is often neglected, and I include myself in that statement. As a natural introvert, hospitality does not come as naturally to me as it does to others. Add to that the demands of being a bi-vocational pastor and you end up with something resembling hermitage at times. Excuses are useless, however, and I need to find ways to set a better example on this topic.

So I guess this is my first "confessional" blog posting. :-)