There is a lot of talk in the circles I run in of what it really means to live "in community" with other Christians. To most people I think community means getting together for Sunday school, maybe having lunch at O'Charleys after church, and sitting in the same pew around the same people on Wednesday nights. There is nothing wrong with all that, but I think community means a bit more - I believe when we begin to wrestle with what it means to live "in community" - we are wrestling with what it would look like to be honest, vulnerable, and transparent with other believers. To be really honest, as much as I hope for that type of community and work towards it - sometimes the idea scares the hell out of me...
The weekend found my wife and I burning the midnight oil with old friends from Nashville, people we have known and loved for over ten years. It was one of those evenings of ageless conversation around the kitchen table where people who have shared the same story can sit and struggle and celebrate and laugh at old jokes, new dreams, who we are, and what we want to become - with a lot of honesty and very little pretense. Everything seemed right and holy from the pints of left-over summer ale, to the laughter of our children playing in the background, to the soundtrack of college favorites smoking like incense into the mood of the room, and the graceful way each of our stories blended to affirm each others subtle transformations - our journeys toward being the people God intended us to be. It was a memorable evening...
And so with that familiar mixture of heart-ache and thankfulness, we saw our friends to the road the next day and began reflecting on the time we had spent with them. There is something powerful about that type of community experience, and it rarely happens in a church setting. We attend a rather large church that is working hard to involve its members in home-based small group meetings, I know it is something that has been a struggle for our pastoral staff. I was fixated on what it would take to experience that depth of community with a small group of people that barely know each other? Can it happen?
The people we worship with are also a part of our story, the greater story that runs timeless and deeper than we can know, one that truly defines us for who we are becoming. I find that the intimate sharing with our old friends comes from a familiarity and trust built by years of knowing - but it pales in comparison to the eternal story that we share with fellow believers. What could happen if through prayer and commitment we allowed those we worshipped with, maybe those we were starting a new small group with, that same level of trust and intimacy? I believe that is the type of transparency the Gospel is calling us to.
My prayer in this struggle to build community, is that the greater story we all share, the one that says, "In the beginning was the Word..." would be the story that draws us together, that gives us the strength to offer, the trust to be honest, the commitment necessary to build lasting community with other believers.
Intentional Christian community begins with intentional transparency.
- Matt Litton
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3 comments:
Matt,
As I sit and reflect on your post (and, indeed, all of your writings for Relevant that I have just finished reading), I am struck with a slightly different idea of community - one that transcends time and space. I'm not speaking of "time and space" the way a sci-fi fanatic would, but of the community of Christian brothers and sisters that we are a part of that goes beyond our "here and now".
For example, I had no idea of the depth of your faith, since it has been about twenty years since I have seen you! But I am encouraged by the fact that you are pursuing your relationship with Jesus, and are actively sharing that with those around you (and, by the looks of your Darfur article, those that aren't even so near your location).
It is a true gift from God to be able to see His community built over the span of time, and I have been able to see that in folks like you and many others that you went to high school with. I consider it an honor to have spent some time with you all, and even a greater privilege to see where God has taken you.
Since my own days at good old CCHS, I have had the privilege of serving as a youth pastor for a local UMC, whose primary focus was on Community. John Wesley, in his writings, highly values Community as a conduit through which the Gospel can be shared. He wrote that it was not enough to tell someone about Jesus, but one should also give that person a place to be connected to.
The sad part is, many of today's churches have placed Community above the Gospel; making togetherness all-important, instead of viewing it as a gift from God through which the Gospel may be experienced. And, although I am no longer with that congregation, I cherish the portion of Community that I am a part of there - and still connect with regularly (even though it is not as frequent as it was). The reason? Through those relationships, Jesus was shared. Jesus was discussed. Jesus was disagreed upon. Jesus was present over food. Jesus was leaned upon. And Jesus was present, even when the people involved weren't so mindful of this at times.
The point of my long rambling here is just to say that I am thankful that you are a part of the Christian "Community", the body of people who choose to not only believe, but to order their lives in such a way as to rely on Jesus. It is truly a blessing to see God's work when it comes to fruition, even in a small way (compared to what we will see when we meet Him face to face).
I was at CCHS from 1987 - 1993 (as a Young Life leader), and I can honestly say those were some great times. I grew in my faith, and I was challenged a ton. I also got to meet some great folks, and have gotten to see them grow over the past 20 years.
I cherish that Community.
Peace,
Murph
Thank you for your comments Murph.
I would love to hear more about your journey since we last crossed paths. - Matt
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