BASICS ON COMMUNITY LIVING

Answering basic questions about Christian community

Glenn on Fellowship

BASIC RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY LIVING- GLENN'S VIEWS -glenn kaiser-

I've lost count how many emails, snail-mails and phone messages I"ve received over the years that state roughly the following questions about Christian community:

"I'm writing to you to see if we could either chat, email etc about things like -beginning stage stuff -covenants or community agreements -things to be thinking about for our future I'm basically interested in how in the world you start something.......and also keep it going".

In very brief, read "Community and Growth" by Jean Vanier, Paulist Press, and "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer for starters. Well, I take that back... first read Acts 2, 4 and 5 as general biblical studies as to Christians in community and the price involved, then read the 2 books I've mentioned.

We've long encouraged folks to join something already existent in the basic scope of what they're interested in. Find a solid Christian community living and doing what you think God is calling you to, and at least spend an extended visit for a sense of what seems to work (or not work) in THAT group.

Then, ask yourselves, and God in prayer, what HE is actually CALLING *you* to do re. community, servanthood and such. Then, WHERE. With whom is easy: those who share that calling and heart you seem to.

From there it's a matter of weighing the hard personal costs of living in some version of community. I.e., if you're doing a common purse thing, it's going to cut to the grain of our selfish nature, trust, etc., more than if you live seperately with separate bank accounts, etc., etc..

Prayer and serious Scripture study, the books I've mentioned and honest discussion among those interest will over time, answer your questions as to if, with whom and where, etc.

The details of "how" are far more complex, and so much relates to God's shared sense of call (that is, all involved have to share most of the same convictions re. community and serving the Lord and other people outside of the community) AND how willing the others linking in the group are about the missional aspect of community. One important emphasis of community Vanier makes is that a community cannot exist only for itself.

If folks are there for themselves, it's a collective, not a community, at least for those particular individuals. If on the other hand, they are only interested in outreach and not deeper fellowship (koinonia), they want mission and not intentional community. My understanding and for that matter, desire for community life beyond a traditional church setting is includes deeper levels of accountability, transparency and congregational life. For me, these things are not options but desired needs, wants and certainly they seem to echo God's concern for the church to function as a body.

Consider how a physical body interacts within itself... it is indeed a great deal more intimate it the interaction of various cells, organs and such, than a sixty-minute meeting once per week. I'm not knocking the weekly, traditional meeting of believers, I just know in my own life I was and am in need as well as called to more and so am deeply thankful God called, I obeyed and in His grace, was able to identify a community that had begun with shared values and deep comittment at it's core. Here I am these 30 years later.

How one continues, lasts? Continued calling, conviction, shared comittment. It's that simple and that profound. Those who don't share in these will not, and should not continue in a community. I don't at all mean that this invalidates their love for Jesus, nor that God calls folks to move on, He often does and will! What I am saying is that a gathering of people has to share common callings and convictions or cannot continue on. It's truly up to the Lord to call, maintain and sustain what He has birthed. The balance and other side of this coin is that those involved must be willing, and continually willing to share and serve. That's the only way that particular fellowship will continue in health and life. Beyond that, it becomes a shell where bickering, jockeying for position and old nature reigns. The body gets viruses that must lovingly, graciously but directly be ministered to. Either that or the illness spreads and more and more get sick until the body is too weak to serve anyone or it simply dies. Just like a "natural" human body would.

Life in the Spirit, hearing Him via the Word and leadings that are confirmed, walking in clear accord with the Word of God, seeking and hearing balance from others in the larger Body of Christ, humility, motives becoming more a matter of love and calling than personal gain are all part of the longevity of any solid community of believers. Sacrifice is absolutely central. Accountability, speaking the truth in love, biblical discipleship really, all are core to a solid Christian community as in any local congregation of course.

Many documents re. our covenant, etc., are also available online at http://www.jpusa.org if you'd wish to read, cut and paste, etc..

Again, there is no template in the Bible re. what "community", certainly not what intentional Christian community as JPUSA does it, absolutely and exactly must look like in all times, places and among all peoples! But the principles are there in the Word of God, and of course, the Spirit (we must trust!) leads varoius gatherings of believers in various ways, structures (or lack of them, heh) as He wishes and as they are willing.

In the end, people are or are not on the same page regarding each group. So there are varied sorts and approaches to community and that's as it should be in our view. JPUSA is ONE expression of Christian community, and it's essential you know we are convinced we are only one expression of authentic, healthy Christian community. There are a LOT more, and many have good websites to check for further- and other- points of view.

Posted 12/18/01