home again home again, jiggity jig

[deb_w]

what a crazy week! this time last week, i had just gotten word that i would indeed be ordained a deacon this annual conference. It was hard to be happy though, not all my friends will be standing there with me... i don't know what else to say about that...it's been a long time coming

Comments

community within the exisitng church?

[anonymous]

Would it be possible to create/foster this community within our existing church structure rather than creating a new "community" that has physical boundries? I mean...it's obvious that we have some sort of club or something going on...but I can't really call it community b/c there is no real sense of interdependence going on between the folks that "attend." I mean how can you "attend" a community? You have to be wrapped up around it and have it flowing in and out of you...all the time. You don't attend that, you live that. Your family becomes bigger and better...who is my brother...who is my sister...yada...

I want it to happen where I am at my little Riverchase UMC...are we too rich, to busy, to white middle class to make that happen? I pray not...or really the enemy has won, and we are doomed to not experience the real kingdom of God on this earth. I pray that it will happen even there, because if it happens there, in our hearts, our relationships, our houses, in those communities, then it will so easily happen in the more desparate and hurting corners of the earth where self reliance has already been exposed for the myth that it is.

We need a new economy a new capitalism a new government a new voice.

Sorry...not a registered writer guy...
bart@paxtonthau.com

Re: community within the exisitng church?

[deb_w]

um....yes. my wanting to live in community comes from my experience with church. I am single, so when i go home where i live alone(and i love it), there are no common meals or common prayers or conversation or study; no one to keep me accountable, to love me when i'm sick etc; so i have to be Intentional about living out Church and community. You are right on. you can't attend community, you have to live it. there are lots of different ways in how that might look or feel to us. Some churches do it naturally, some not so much...

all of that to say that i am not advocating a separation from church, but a living out of it...

how do you see it happening within the "bounds" of the existing church now? or how do you want to see it lived out?

thanks,
peace
deb

Re: community within the exisitng church?

[anonymous]

from bart...
I see it lived out in bits and spurts... like when my 3-4 year old soccer team suddenly looks like a pro team for about a second or two each game. O.k. not that bad...BUT...it's almost like we design the experiences we have at church to be as anonymous as possible. The biggest emphasis is on the Sun a.m. service. What could be more anonymous in a large church...of any denomination or liturgy...

I don't think you should get rid of the worship "service"...but coudl something else become the focus??? Like small prayer groups...group share time??? Could we set up "safe houses" that would be places for families in the community to share their excess and take what they need in time of need?

I really really try to foster this type of social/spiritual relationships through our Sunday School class. I hope and pray that we can at least take care of eachother...share hurts, our pasts, our presents, our hopes, our prayers, and even a beer or two or three...

I understood you to say in the posts that you are hoping to live out the church...not separate from it...What i hope is that we try to make church look more like Church... Would you really need a church growth campaign or even a stewardship campaign or hunt for children's workers if that was happening on a regular basis...each person called according to his/her relationshpi with the kingdom.

god...I do not want to sound angry..but hopeful and prayerful. I love the Church...I don't always like the church. I want families to have a place to go to learn how to be families without bounds...single/straight/married/gay/legal/illegal/all of us on this planet..not just all of us in this nation. God...where do we go from here? How do we get closer to this "living out of it?"

I'm ready...I hope.

Re: community within the exisitng church?

[deb_w]

you do sound hopeful and prayerful, sometimes it takes a little anger :) I think that part of the problem is that we live in a culture where we talk about the worship "service" but rarely about a life of worship. I've heard it expressed like this: which is more important, to breathe in or breathe out? it depends on what you did last! we need those times of strengthening, breathing in, worship/praise in community, study, fellowship in order to breathe out the spirit of God into the hurting world around us.

starting with your sunday school class is a great idea. it become contagious...

and after the "soccer game" what do you say to your 3 year old player? you revel on the good, pro reflecting seconds, so that she will be encouraged next time and maybe just maybe the seconds will turn into minutes.

thank you for sharing your hopes and prayers with me. i am encouraged by you