Maturity and Education
This post is part of a monthly synchroblog. The topic of this month’s synchroblog is “Maturity in the Light of our Faith”.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post called “Mutual Hermeneutics“. In that post, I started a discussion about biblical interpretation, and the tendency of modern believers to place the responsibility of interpreting Scripture in the hands of trained professionals. In a follow-up post called “Toward Mutual Hermeneutics“, I made some suggestions that I think would help believers move from a professional-only hermeneutic to mutual hermeneutics.
In the comments of the second post, David from “Love Each Stone” started a good discussion concerning the relationship between education and spiritual maturity. David suggested in one comment that “The contrast and comparison between “mature believers” and those with “training and expertise” is an interesting discussion that would probably be worth a whole separate post”.
A few days later, I found myself consider the topic of maturity again – this time for this synchroblog. Originally, I wanted to write a post on the topic of the role of the church meeting and edification in spiritual maturity. I am very interested in this topic, and I’ll probably write a blog post (or perhaps a series) on this topic later. For now, though, I wanted to continue the discussion on the relationship between training or education and spiritual maturity.
Let me start my stating that I teach in a college part time. When I finish my PhD – hopefully within the next calendar year – I hope to find a job teaching full time. I am not against education. I believe that education can be good, helpful, and important. However, education is not the same as discipleship, nor is education the same as spiritual maturity. And, I think that modernity has equated (or misunderstood) education for spiritual maturity to the detriment of the church.
Let me start by quickly examining a passage of Scripture that is often used to defend the necessity of education:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
I quoted the KJV here because it is the only major English translation to translate the command as “Study” (other early English translations also used “study”: the Bishops Bible of 1595 and Tyndale’s translation of 1534). Yet, that word “Study” has stuck in our (or at least mine and those I’ve talked with) memory and affected the way we understand what Paul said. Now, look at the ESV:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV)
Thus, Paul was not calling Timothy (and others) to study, but to diligence. The difference is in the change of meaning in the word “study”. Similarly, Paul was not telling Timothy to study the Bible in order to be approved, but to do his best (be diligent) in the way he lives according to the gospel. (For “rightly handling” see Prov 11:5 where it is translated “keeps his way”. For “word of truth” = “gospel” for Paul, see Eph 1:13 and Col 1:5.)
So, right away, let’s get this passage out of our system. Paul was not telling Timothy to be educated by studying the Bible. He was telling Timothy to make every effort to live his life according to the gospel. In so doing, Timothy would be like an approved work who has no need to feel ashamed.
But today, we place such an emphasis on education that it has become almost synonymous with spiritual maturity. When someone graduates from Bible school or seminary, they are often hired right away by church organizations, with the assumption that the degree indicates maturity. Since the church does not know the individual personally, they only have the degree and a few hours of acquaintance.
However, while a degree may indicate a certain amount of knowledge – hopefully – the degree does not indicate spiritual maturity. The degree does not indicate that the person demonstrates love toward those who are “unloveable”. It does not indicate that the person knows how to deal with “opponents” with grace, patience, and gentleness. The degree does not tell us that the person is hospitable or willing to share what God has provided. Even passing classes in theology, hermeneutics, New Testament, Old Testament, Hebrew, and Greek does not indicate that a person knows how to interpret the Scriptures, much less live according to them. Graduation does not make a person spiritually mature.
Of course, our church system is based on the assumption that an educated person is spiritually mature. Most church leaders (pastors) would not spend the time getting to know people and letting the people get to know them before they accept a position in a church organization. Similarly, for the most part, the people would not wait to determine a person’s spiritual maturity level before recognizing this person as a leader. We expect our leader’s to be ready-made by Bible colleges and seminaries.
Its time to move beyond the assumption that education equals spiritual maturity. It may mean that the system has to change – so be it. The church needs leaders who are spiritually mature more than they need educated leaders. Again, I’m not disparaging education. Instead, I’m simply pointing out that we need spiritually mature pastors more than we need educated pastors.
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Here is a list of bloggers who are taking part in this month’s synchroblog on the topic “Maturity in the Light of our Faith”:
Phil Wyman at Square No More with “Is Maturity Really What I Want?“
Lainie Petersen at Headspace with “Watching Daddy Die“
Kathy Escobar at The Carnival in My Head with “what’s inside the bunny?“
John Smulo at JohnSmulo.com with “Christian Maturity“
Erin Word at Decompressing Faith with “Long-Wearing Nail Polish and Other Stories“
Beth Patterson at The Virtual Teahouse with “the future is ours to see: crumbling like a mountain“
Bryan Riley at Charis Shalom with “Still Complaining?“
Alan Knox at The Assembling of the Church with “Maturity and Education“
KW Leslie at The Evening of Kent with “Putting spiritual infants in charge“
Bethany Stedman at Coffee Klatch with “Moving Towards True Being: The Long Process of Maturity“
Adam Gonnerman at Igneous Quill with “Old Enough to Follow Christ?“
Joe Miller at More Than Cake with “Intentional Relationships for Maturity“
Jonathan Brink at JonathanBrink.com with “I Won’t Sin“
Susan Barnes at A Booklook with “Growing Up“
Tracy Simmons at The Best Parts with “Knowing Him Who is From the Beginning“
Joseph Speranzella at A Tic in the Mind’s Eye with “Spiritual Maturity And The Examination of Conscience“
Sally Coleman at Eternal Echoes with “vulnerable maturity“
Liz Dyer at Grace Rules with “What I Wish The Church Knew About Spiritual Maturity“
Cobus van Wyngaard at My Contemplations with “post-enlightenment Christians in an unenlightened South Africa“
Steve Hayes at Khanya with “Adult Content“
Ryan Peter at Ryan Peter Blogs and Stuff with “The Foundation For Ministry and Leading“
Kai Schraml at Kaiblogy with “Mature Virtue“
Nic Paton at Sound and Silence with “Inclusion and maturity“
Lew Ayotte at The Pursuit with “Maturity and Preaching“
Synchroblog on Maturity – Sept 17
In just over two weeks, there will be a synchroblog on the topic “Discussing Maturity in the Light of our Faith”. This is a broad topic that can cover physical maturity, spiritual maturity, emotional maturity, etc. I will probably write about how the gathering of the church should lead toward spiritual maturity.
If you are interested in taking part in this synchroblog, then please read Phil’s post called “Next Synchroblog – Sept 17 – on Maturity“. There is a link at the end of his post to a page where you can sign up to take part in the synchroblog.
Live blogging…
We interrupt the regular scheduled blog posts…
Normally, I schedule blog posts several days in advance. I schedule a post for midnight. Then, if I have another post – usually shorter and usually linking and responding to another blogger – I will schedule it for sometime between noon and 2:00 p.m. (I’ve been testing different afternoon post times to see if the post time affects the number of readers and comments. So far, there is very little difference between one time and another.)
However, today, I am not working. So, I am “live blogging”… meaning, I am writing this post on Friday afternoon, and I will publish it as soon as I’ve finished writing it. Scary… cutting edge… unheard of… I know, right!
Here are a few blog posts that I have appreciated:
Alan Bandy, from “Café Apocalypsis“, is now working in the PhD department at SEBTS. He has written a very helpful article called “Retrospective Tips for Completing a Ph.D. Prospectus and Dissertation“. This is a very timely article for me, because, God willing, I will finish my PhD seminars, take the comprehensive exams, and turn in my prospectus by next Spring.
I recently linked to an article by my friend Renata about community during the everyday aspects of life (see “A great example of community“). Now Eddie, at “Pressing On“, has written about community while walking around a lake in a post called “Church at Greenfield“.
Finally, Phil, at “Square No More“, explained what all this synchroblog stuff is about in a post called “What is a Synchroblog?” Read his post, go to this link, and join us in the next synchroblog. Synchroblogginess makes your blog cool.
Boasting in humiliation
This post is part of a monthly synchroblog. This topic of this month’s synchroblog is “Poverty”.
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. (James 1:9-10 ESV)
If I had written about poverty a year ago (and I probably did), I would have written from a theoretical position. While my family has never been “rich”, we were also never poor. Similarly, I had never spent time around people who generally would be considered poor, except for a short time in Nicaragua.
In fact, as I think back, my life generally resembled the lives of the children of Israel. God consistently admonished them through the prophets because they did not care for the fatherless, the widows, the foreigners, the oppressed, and the poor:
They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them. (Isaiah 1:23 ESV)
They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. (Jeremiah 5:28 ESV)
Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. (Ezekiel 22:7 ESV)
Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. (Zechariah 7:9-11 ESV)
Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals – those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned… (Amos 2:6-7 ESV)
While the children of Israel kept the feasts and Sabbaths and offerings and sacrifices, they did not show mercy to those in need.
This is a good picture of my life until a few months ago. I met with the church. I gave money. I sang songs and prayed. But, what about those in need? I “cared” for the poor, but I didn’t care for the poor. I “loved” the needy, but I didn’t love the needy. There was a huge disconnect between what I said or through about myself, and what my life demonstrated.
Then, God began to transform me. It all started when I began to view the church as people instead of structure, organization, or leadership. As God began to turn my heart toward people, he also began to turn my heart toward “the least”. And, for the last several months, God has given me opportunities to truly demonstrate his love toward the fatherless, the widows, the foreigners, the poor, and the needy.
Something interesting happened as my family began to truly serve the needy. As we sought to bless others, we found that God blessed us through them. You see, these poor and needy people are often more rich than we are in some areas. And, we have found that we need them in our lives more than they need us. In fact, for our family, there is no “us” and “them” anymore. They are part of our family.
So, I’ve learned from friends who have less financial resources than myself. I’ve grown by listening to people who have no family members to care for them. I’ve been helped by single parents struggling to provide for their children. I’ve been taught by people who are struggling physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
I believe that God has much in store for his children – those who are poor and those who are rich. For those of us who are rich (in finances, in possessions, in education, in health, in relationships, etc.) to learn from those who are poor, it takes much humility.
When God commands his children to care for “the least”, he does not command this simply for the benefit of “the least”. Instead, he understands what his children need. I’ve missed out on so much of what God is doing for so long. God is with “the least”; and when we serve them, we are serving him. In fact, we serve him through the poor, the needy, the oppressed, the fatherless, the widows, and the foreigners much more than we do through singing and listening to preaching. Don’t believe me? Then learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13; Hosea 6:6).
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Here is a list of bloggers who are participating in this synchroblog on poverty:
Sonja Andrews: Fully Known and Fully Loved
Phil Wyman at Phil Wyman’s Square No More
Adam Gonnerman: Echoes of Judas
Cobus van Wyngaard: Luke: The Gospel for the Rich
Lainie Petersen at Headspace
Steve Hayes: Holy Poverty
Jonathan Brink: Spiritual Poverty
Dan Stone at The Tense Before
Jeremiah: Blessed are the poor… churches…
Alan Knox: Boasting in Humiliation
Miss Eagle: Poverty and the Hospitable Heart
Jimmie: Feeding the Poor
Is God red, blue, or purple?
This post is part of a monthly synchroblog. The topic for this month’s synchroblog is “The Politics of God“.
Is God red, blue, or purple? Is he a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, or a Constitutionalist? Is God for big government or small government? More spending or less spending? More social programs or less social programs? Big military or small military? Federal control or states rights? Conservative, liberal, or moderate?
These terms seem strange and somehow out of place when used to describe God. Why? Because God is none of these things. These terms are used to describe human efforts to govern themselves, and assigning them to God immediately begins to recreate a god in our own image.
I grew up in the deep south of the United States where most people voted Democrat in local and state elections and Republican in the national elections. Why? Four main reasons: carpet baggers, abortion, military, and taxes – not necessarily in that order. Abortion was the only issue that could be considered a moral issue, and I’m not sure how people would have voted if “pro-choice” had been pushed by the “pro-tax” party. In other words, I think that “fiscal” concerns would have easily outweighed “moral” concerns.
What does this have to do with God? What does politics in general have to do with God? Besides throwing around God’s name to garner a few votes, is God’s agenda even considered among the various political agendas? (Can you tell that I’m cynical? Yes, I know that there are good, honest, authentic Christians in politics – at least, I’ve been told they are there.)
From what I’ve seen, when Christians get involved in politics, they rarely do so in a Christ-like manner. Oh, they may pick a few moral issues on which to base their campaign, but the methods, techniques, and goals of their campaigns are rarely different from nonChristians politicians. The problem, of course, is that Jesus did not call his followers into politics. Don’t misunderstand me – I’m not saying that being a politician is mutually exclusive with being a follower of Jesus Christ. Instead, I’m saying that a follower of Jesus Christ recognizes that human politics will not solve the world’s problems.
God’s politics works differently than human politics. God reveals needs and opportunities to his people. God gives his people the means to meet those needs. God gives them his Spirit to empower them and lead them as they meet those needs. Then, God expects his people to obediently follow where the Spirit leads – in meeting the needs of the people around them – as God as revealed those needs.
God’s politics works if our government is conservative or liberal, democratic or totalitarian, pro-Christianity or against Christianity. God doesn’t change the land through protests, but through a demonstration of his love. God doesn’t change people through voting, but through the service of his people. God doesn’t honor patriotism, but obedience.
Is God red, blue, or purple? That’s the wrong question. The correct question is this: Are God’s people demonstrating God’s love by serving others in obedience to the work of God’s Spirit in their lives. That’s the kind of “political agenda” that I can support 100%!
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Here is a list of other bloggers who are tackling this month’s synchroblog topic of “The Politics of God”. Enjoy as you read!
Phil Wyman rants about The Talking Points of Presumption
Lainie Petersen considers Questioning the Citizen Diety
Jonathan Brink enters The Political Fray
Adam Gonnerman explains The Living Christ’s Present Reign
Sonja Andrews Won’t Get Fooled Again
Mike Bursell at Mike’s Musings
Sally Coleman at Eternal Echoes
Steve Hayes on God’s Politics
Matthew Stone at Matt Stone Journeys in Between
Steve Hollinghurst at On Earth as in Heaven
KW Leslie tells us about God’s Politics
Julie Clawson at One Hand Clapping
Dan Stone at The Tense Before
Alan Knox asks Is God Red, Blue, or Purple?
Beth Patterson writes about Learners inheriting the earth: the politics of God
Erin Word discusses Hanging Chad Theology
Missional Stew
Rick at “The Blind Beggar” suggested a synchroblog to discuss the definition of the term “missional” (see his post “Call for Missional Synchroblog“). To be honest, I don’t know how much I’ll be able to add to this discussion. I’ve only recently begun to consider the meaning and implications of being missional. However, I’m looking forward to reading the other posts, and I encourage my readers to read and consider what other people are saying about the term “missional”.
When I was growing up, the “regional” airport in a large city near us decided that it wanted to steal some of the air traffic away from ATL (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport). Over several years, there were studies and consultants and budgets and votes. Eventually, the airport made a huge decision – they decided to change their name from “regional airport” to “international airport” – as if changing the name would change who they were.
I think many followers of Jesus Christ may be attempting to add “missional” to whatever they already doing. But, adding the label “missional” to their meetings and programs does not make them missional. So, what does “missional” mean?
Several bloggers will be posting and defending their definitions of the term “missional”. To be completely honest, I don’t know exactly what it means. Instead of offering my own definition of “missional”, I thought I would throw a few ingredients into the stew (so to speak). In other words, whatever “missional” means or how “missional” is applied to someone’s life, I think it should include these things (not a comprehensive list):
Gospel: “Missional” is dependent upon the Gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ. I’m not talking about a “gospel presentation”. I’m talking about living a life that is reconciled to God through the finished work of Jesus Christ and the continuing work of his Spirit. It means recognizing that just as God has reconciled us to himself, he desires to reconcile “all things” to himself.
Relationship: “Missional” is relational. I don’t see any other way around it. God includes his children in his mission toward other people. It is a relational mission – both relationship with God and relationship with one another and relationship to the world.
Intentionality: “Missional” requires intentionality. I do not see how someone can be accidentally missional. This does not mean that missional activities are always pre-planned – they can be spontaneous. But, spontaneous acts of mission can still be intentional.
Cost: “Missional” is costly. This does not mean that you are being missional by only giving money. However, it does mean that living a missional life will cost you money, time, and energy, among other things. It may even cost your reputation (especially among religious types).
Love: When I originally wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, I did not include “love” as an ingredient in my missional stew. Why? Because I thought “love” was obvious. However, after further thought, I think “love” needs to be a part of any definition of “missional” – both the love of God and the love of others – both the love of other believers and the love of those who are not followers of Jesus.
Like I said earlier, I’m looking forward to reading more posts that actually define the term “missional”. I hope that many of them include some of these ideas.
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Here is a list of the 50 bloggers who are defining the term “missional” as part of this synchroblog:
Defining "Missional" Synchroblog
Rick at “The Blind Beggar” is calling for a synchroblog on Monday, June 23 in order to discuss the meaning of the word “missional”. (See “Call for Missional Synchroblog” and “Missional Synchroblog Update“.) While I’m coming to this discussion – and way of living – rather late, I’m still planning to take part. I’m looking forward to what others are saying about this term that could quickly become a buzz word with very little meaning behind it. If you’re interested in taking part (with at least 40 other bloggers), let Rick know in a comment to one of his posts.
When "community" hinders community
This is my second post in the “Community” synchroblog that is taking place this week. My first post was called “Community is unnatural today“. Glenn at “re-dreaming the dream” organized this synchroblog. Posts will be added to this synchroblog throughout this week by various individuals. If you’d like to take part in this synchroblog, write your post and leave a comment with a link on Glenn’s latest synchroblog info post called “Community Synchroblog“.
Community is simply a group of people connected by some common bond. It is possible to relate to other people as community based on many different things: location, vocation, hobby, age, children, school, etc. Within the church, it is popular to build community based on meeting location, rules, doctrines, and human leadership. However, these types of commonality are not the foundation for the community that God is building.
Instead, God builds his community (perhaps a better translation of “ekklesia”) on the person of Jesus Christ and the common fellowship that his children have with him through the Holy Spirit. The community that God builds begins with a relationship with God himself through Jesus Christ and the Spirit. But, community doesn’t end there. God continues to build that community through relationships with one another. In fact, you could say that these interrelationships are the outward signs that God is building community. But, it must begin with God himself – both his work and our relationship with him. Finally, God’s community does not end with interrelationship among his children. Instead, God’s community reaches outside itself and welcomes those who are not yet part of the community.
The outward-looking and outward-loving aspect is perhaps one of the most peculiar aspects of the community that God builds. In almost every other case, community because a boundary, both for keeping people in and for keeping people out. When community is not based on loving God, loving each other, and loving others, then the community quickly becomes isolated and independent – the opposite of God’s community.
But, what happens when God’s children decide to build their own community based on meeting location, rules, doctrines, or human leadership? Again, the community turns inward and becomes more about who is outside of the community than welcoming people into the community. Differences and disagreements and struggles, even among those who are brothers and sisters in Christ, become justification for not welcoming or accepting someone into the community. The “community” ends up hurting and isolating themselves from the very people that should help them form the community.
Thus, it is possible to build a “community” – a true community in every aspect of the word – that hinders the community that God desires to build – a community that is centered on Jesus Christ and a common love for God, each other, and others. In fact, I believe that many who write of loving Jesus but not the church, or who write of being hurt by the church, or who write of being disillusioned by the church, are living the after effects of a community that is based in something other than Jesus Christ – the type of “community” that expels easier than it welcomes.
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Read the following posts in this synchroblog to see what other people are saying about “Community” this week. I’ll add links as more posts are published throughout the week:
“Community: The Dilemma” by Glenn
“Community: A Synchroblog” by Jason
“Thoughts on Building Authentic Christian Community” by Jeff
“Community is unnatural today” by Alan
“When ‘community’ hinders community” by Alan
“Why we don’t like grace” by Jonathan
“Equality is an action word” by Kathy
“Authentic Community, Meaningful Ministry – Moving Forward” by Gary
Community is unnatural today
This post is part of a synchroblog around the topic of “Community”. Glenn at “re-dreaming the dream” organized this synchroblog in his post called “Community (June Synchroblog)“. Posts will be added to this synchroblog throughout this week. If you’d like to take part in this synchroblog, write your post and leave a comment with a link on Glenn’s latest synchroblog info post called “Community Synchroblog“.
Concerning this topic, Glenn made the following statements:
It seems like there have been two parallel themes on the minds of many of us lately… the longing for community and the fear of it turning sour.
Those themes have led to several of us thinking about how to facilitate community, helping isolated people find each other without falling into the pitfalls that have led to many of us leaving the institutional church. What are some options for getting it right and getting moving toward authentic community and meaningful service together? Can we move beyond the dreams, the fears, and the talk?
As little as 100 years ago, community was common and natural in the United States and around the world. (In many places, community remains common and natural.) People were born into a family that was part of a community, and they immediately became part of the community. People lived in the community, went to school in the community, married in the community, worked or farmed in the community, traded or bartered or shopped in the community, died in the community. The people knew who was part of the community because they lived with one another. Beyond knowing who was part of the community, the people actually knew one another because they lived together, learned together, laughed together, cried together. It was possible for someone to leave the community, but the community and the individual immediately felt the loss. It was also possible from someone to be banned from or shunned by the community, but still the community and the individual immediately felt the loss.
Today, community is foreign, strange, and peculiar (at least in the United States). We live in one neighborhood. We go to school in another neighborhood. We work in still another neighborhood. We shop in a fourth neighborhood. We do not know what it means to be community because we do not know what it means to share our lives – all aspects of our lives – with a particular group of people. We are no longer born into a community, and we no longer die in that same community. People come and go in our neighborhoods, our schools, our jobs, our stores, and within weeks we hardly remember their names (if we ever knew their names in the first place).
We recognize that we no longer live in community, and we recognize that in Scripture the church appears to be a community – an extended family of sorts that shares their lives with one another. We recognize that something is missing in our lives because we do not live in community with other believers. So, what do we do? We attempt to create community.
We bring together people from different neighborhoods, who work in different parts of the cities, whose children go to different schools, who have different hobbies and interests, who are at different stages in their lives, who struggle with different sins and seek God in different ways, and we put them together in a room for one or two hours on Sunday with a group of strangers (or acquaintances at best) and tell them that they are a community. And, then we wonder why they do not act like community toward one another.
Can these people be community? Yes. But, they do not become community by meeting together once a week. Community develops as people share their lives with one another… minute by minute… day by day… week by week… year by year. Community develops when they learn that the other people will be there during struggles as well as during happy times. Community develops when they are accepted in spite of their differences and disagreements. Community develops when they are treated with love and respect regardless of their abilities, gifts, positions, finances, etc. Community develops when hierarchy and authority are replaced with mutual concern and service.
When people are accepted as they are – as brothers and sisters in Christ – for days, weeks, and years at a time, then community develops. When people step out of their own self-dependence and are willing to give up their plans and change their schedules for someone else, then community develops. When people begin to see the importance of the informal and the spontaneous and the unplanned meetings with one another, then community begins to develop.
So, what can we do to help develop community? First, don’t look beyond the relationships that God has already placed in your lives. God has surrounded you with people. Love, accept, encourage them and spend time with them. Invite them to your house. Invite them to go to the park or lake with you. Go with them when they invite you. Recognize that community is developed in the “small” and everyday issues of life, not in formal and special issues.
Second, be vulnerable; allow yourself to be disappointed; allow others to fail. People are not perfect and they will disappoint us. But, community cannot be develop in an artificially perfect atmosphere. If things are going smooth all the time, then you know that you are not living together as community. Someone has to take the initiative and allow themselves to be vulnerable and transparent, which of course opens us up to the possibility of being hurt. In fact, when you are truly yourself with people – authentic – they may reject you. This is not a cause of alarm – it is natural. Instead, we continue looking for relationships with people that God has placed in our lives. We continue trusting God and seeking our satisfaction and our hope and our primary relationship in him and him alone. We trust him to build community.
Third, thank God and encourage people for those small steps toward community. If someone is willing to share a part of their life – even a small part – thank God, thank them, and encourage them for what they have shared. Being open and honest and allowing someone to be part of your life is not a natural thing – it is a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit. We should never lose our awe and wonder at the great mystery God works in the lives of other people.
Finally, be patient. Community takes time to develop. People today do not know what it means to live in community with one another. They need months and years of example. Many taking part in this synchroblog and reading this post are among those who desire community and have tested the waters only to find themselves nearly drowned by the deluge. Be patient. Forgive people. Allow people to move on. Accept others that seem strange to you. Be amazed at what God does… but allow him time to work. Just as he had to work in my life and in your life, we must allow him to work in the lives of others as well.
Community… everyone wants it, but few are willing to put in the work necessary to develop it. Everyone wants it now, but few are willing to wait for it. Everyone wants it for themselves, but few are willing to give up their own plans and schedules to be community for others. Community is unnatural today because so many people live independent – self-dependent – lives.
After living together with some people for over five years, we are finally beginning to understand what it means to be a community. And, even our understanding is faulty and shallow. However, I am exciting and overwhelmed by what God has done and is doing in my life, in our family’s lives, and in the lives of some of those around us. Community is worth all of the pain, frustration, fears, and failed attempts. We are finally learning to accept one another as we are in Christ, and expect God to continue to work in and through each of our lives.
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Read the following posts in this synchroblog to see what other people are saying about “Community” this week. I’ll add links as more posts are published throughout the week:
“Community: The Dilemma” by Glenn
“Community: A Synchroblog” by Jason
“Thoughts on Building Authentic Christian Community” by Jeff
“Community is unnatural today” by Alan
“When ‘community’ hinders community” by Alan
“Why we don’t like grace” by Jonathan
“Equality is an action word” by Kathy
“Authentic Community, Meaningful Ministry – Moving Forward” by Gary
Demonstrating the heart of God
This post is part of the “Missional Synchroblog” organized by Jonathan of “Missio Dei“. Jonathan has proposed that we each publish one post per month over the next four month concerning four different topics: 1) What does missional living look like to me? (see my post “Living the love of God“) 2) What attracts me to missional? 3) Where is God calling me into mission? and 4) My best missional story. Since this is the second month of the synchroblog, the topic is “Why am I missional?”
Several years ago, when Jeremy was only about 7 or 8, I was sitting on the sofa with him one Sunday afternoon watching television. He took the remote controls and starting flipping through the channels. Eventually, he came to a professional football game. Now, you should know that Jeremy has always loved football. And, we had gone to high school football games and college football games together. We had also watched college football games on television often. But, since I had never enjoyed professional football, we had never watched an NFL game together.
But, when Jeremy saw there was football on the television, he stopped flipping through the channels. Over the next couple of hours (and few years), Jeremy fell in love with professional football. That afternoon, he asked me several questions about the NFL game, because many of the rules were different from the college games that he had seen before. I had to admit that I did not know much about the different rules.
As Jeremy grew to love professional football, something interesting happened to me. I started caring more about the NFL. Nothing changed about professional football, except now, someone that I loved cared about the game and the league. Since Jeremy cared about professional football, I started caring as well.
We do not have to read through the pages of Scripture long before we find out that God cares about people, especially the least, the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoners, the sick, the oppressed, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners. God cares about them. Someone I love cares about these people.
When we read the Book of Jonah, we see that God cared so much for the city of Nineveh that he sent Jonah to warn them about his judgment. When Jonah finally went to warn the Ninevites (the enemies of Israel) to repent, they did… and Jonah pouted. In fact, Jonah cared more about a plant that withered than he cared about a city of thousands of people that was about to perish.
As much as I would like to condemn Jonah, I have to admit that I often have his attitude. I care much more about the things that directly affect me – no matter how minor those things are – than I care about the things that God cares about – especially the least and the lost people of the world. So, in reality, if I were to answer the question, “Why am I missional?” I would have to say, “Many times, I’m not missional”.
But, I know that God has called me – an all of his followers – to take his gospel and his love to the least and the lost of this world. Yes, this includes the good news of Jesus Christ. This is extremely important. But, as Jesus told his followers, what we do for the least, we also do for him. If we see a lost and thirsty man, and only give him a glass of water, we are not fulfilling our responsibilities of demonstrating God’s heart to see people redeemed to himself through Jesus Christ. However, if we see a lost and thirsty man, and only tell him about Jesus, neither are we fulfilling our responsibilities of demonstrating God’s heart. As Jesus showed us, we demonstrate God’s heart by giving him both the gospel and also a glass of water.
Why am I missional? Because God cares for people. And, because of my love for God, I can’t help but demonstrate the heart of God toward other people – unless, of course, I hinder what God is doing in my own heart.
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Here are some additional posts from bloggers who are takin part on the synchroblog question of “Why Am I Missional?”:
Jonathan Brink – Why I am missional
Jeromy Johnson – Why I am missional: Three Reasons
Ben Wheatley – WWSBD – What Would Shepherd Book Do
Bryan Riley – Jesus is the way and he was missional
Alan Knox – Demonstrating the heart of God
Tim Jones – Participation or Observation?
Blake Huggins – Missional Synchroblog: Why am I missional?