Community!
Community. A powerful word we don't understand. How amazing and complex - yet simple.
This last semester I got to see some community in action. Through a book study we held at our house by the title of "The Irresistible Revolution" (by Shane Claiborne) a group of us started digging into this books material.
This book talked about really living out Christianity (following Christ and his teachings) and told stories of a group of people who committed themselves to this purpose and decided to move and live among the poor and homeless in inner city Philadelphia.
Anyways, we got to see a taste of community this semester as about 8-10 committed young individuals came into our house and shared their different spiritual giftings. As a group, largely influenced by what the author shared in his stories, we decided to have a trash clean up in our neighborhood. We gathered outside in a nearby park, circled up, and prayed to our Father who art in heaven. We spent an hour just picking up other peoples trash in a LARGE neighborhood. It was amazing and was our first glimpse of how easy a big task was to deal with when you had a group of individuals committed to the cause. That day we partnered up with one other person, split up and headed in different areas. We had about 6 large trash bags full afterwards. Although this sounds simple - anyone can pick up stupid trash, right? Sure, but this taught me that we can do together what we could never do alone. By myself the task of cleaning up my neighborhoods trash seems overwhelming and daunting. Maybe not impossible, but improbable and not fun. Together it was made easy and enjoyable. We considered it joy to hang out with a friend, talk with them (get to know them) while we clean up OUR Earth. Giving back, serving God.
Later, God showed me another small glimpse of community. Somehow the idea of planting a garden in my back yard got "planted" into my head. I knew I wanted to grow one before I moved into my future house with a backyard. I knew it was going to happen. I didn't know how much work it would be. I went to Wimberley to my parents house and borrowed some of my Dad's tools - two shovels and a large pick ax. I quickly found the shovels weren't working quickly so I tried to use the pick ax. This was much more effective, but after an hour I was exhausted and had only tilled a little bit of the soil. The next week I invited two friends to help me. One of my Chinese friends, Neng Wan, and another new friend Shaun Payne. They came over and in no time we had that job done. The worked hard and it was JOYFUL working with each other. They were not bitter that I had asked them to work, but we enjoyed each others company as they gracefully helped me out. This job was tiring and difficult by myself, but became fun, envigorating, and while not necessarily easy - the task became much more manageable and the burden lighter.
Another beautiful example of community happened within our small book studies community and pored out into our community at large. During our normal Tuesday night book study, someone asked what can we do in our neighborhood with - you know - OUR NEIGHBORS... Someone else suggested (not me), "We should do a neighborhood cook-out". Several others quickly responded "Let's do it" and we did it (through God's grace). It seemed a little frightening (i don't know why - afraid of the unknown maybe) at first - and almost didn't happen. While I wanted to do it, the group wavered - school was getting busy, halloween was coming, and many other "reasons" started coming to say maybe we should just do this "another time". Fortunately the courage of a freshmen to speak the truth and told us we should just do it and God will provide. God did provide - a campus ministry provided us with the money to get food - we bought 80 hotdogs and 40 hamburgers + drinks and snack foods. I would say well over 50 people came out, maybe upwards to 80 (at different times). People from our neighborhood, friends from college... Chinese, black, white, hispanic. All sorts of colors. Kids playing on the playground, adults talking with each other exclaiming, "we should do this again!" over and over again. The gift of community. The fruit of community creating community. 8 people helped plan bring 50 strangers together on a whim with flyers placed on every telephone pole within earshot. "If you build it, he will come" as a famous movie quote goes. If you do something in God's name and seeking after God he will show up (and in bigger ways than you may expect).
And from that, you ask? During that cookout, the first person to show up was a homeless man who called himself "Cowboy" (yeeeeeehaw!). Cowboy helped me get the charcoal lit and fire going, and we got to talk with him. Afterwards, he thanked us and God for the full belly. This wouldn't be the last we saw of Cowboy. The next chapter was talking about living among homeless people and the group decided, "HEY, why don't we make some tacos and stuff and - you know - go talk with some homeless folk". We split into 3 groups and all of us had some amazing encounters with some homeless people. We met Larry and Katherine through Cowboy in on group. Another group met "The Family" - Louie, Louie - Tony - George - David - Woody... these guys are now our friends. Every Friday a small group goes over to City Park - bringing some breakfast tacos and warm clothes - and just hang out with some of our friends who happen to not have a roof over their head. We listen to some (a lot) of their crazy stories, about their hard but interesting lives, and we learn to love them, and they bless our lives as we simply give them a little bit of cheap food. Our lives our blessed by serving them. What!!? That is crazy... Isn't that what that Jesus guy said. Anyways, we got a powerful glimpse of community by interacting with this homeless community. They may be alcoholics, but their sin is just out in the open. That seems much better than all my secret sin.
Today, one of my professors, a Christian - talks to our class (Public Administration) about the original public administors. They were church clergy. It was the idea that you "take a light, and put it on it's stand and it gives light to everyone in the house". My teacher said that. Afterwards we talked and he said something that confirmed what some other friends had been talking about. What the "Church" should be, and what the government is trying to be. Historically it is the church that is in charge of "social programs" and helping people in need. Now we have become a lazy church and we exclaim "GOVERNMENT! You feed our poor and give our homeless people homes. I gave you my tax dollars! We need more social programs!" But who is "the government". WE (the Church) are the people, and we have a responsibility to our Earth as God's stewards. We can't give away our responsibility to the government.
What he said was complex, yet simple. And it confirms every aspect of what happened with our community stuff this last semester. He said it should be as simple as getting believers together, identifying their spiritual gifts, seeking the Lord, and working together. Who said there is no formula's in life. That is it :) Seriously, "never underestimate the power of a small group of committed individuals to effect change. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has (Margeret Mead)." This is true! As we saw, a small group of committed individuals can do so much!
This is my in-work(ing) definition of community!
This last semester I got to see some community in action. Through a book study we held at our house by the title of "The Irresistible Revolution" (by Shane Claiborne) a group of us started digging into this books material.
This book talked about really living out Christianity (following Christ and his teachings) and told stories of a group of people who committed themselves to this purpose and decided to move and live among the poor and homeless in inner city Philadelphia. Anyways, we got to see a taste of community this semester as about 8-10 committed young individuals came into our house and shared their different spiritual giftings. As a group, largely influenced by what the author shared in his stories, we decided to have a trash clean up in our neighborhood. We gathered outside in a nearby park, circled up, and prayed to our Father who art in heaven. We spent an hour just picking up other peoples trash in a LARGE neighborhood. It was amazing and was our first glimpse of how easy a big task was to deal with when you had a group of individuals committed to the cause. That day we partnered up with one other person, split up and headed in different areas. We had about 6 large trash bags full afterwards. Although this sounds simple - anyone can pick up stupid trash, right? Sure, but this taught me that we can do together what we could never do alone. By myself the task of cleaning up my neighborhoods trash seems overwhelming and daunting. Maybe not impossible, but improbable and not fun. Together it was made easy and enjoyable. We considered it joy to hang out with a friend, talk with them (get to know them) while we clean up OUR Earth. Giving back, serving God.
Later, God showed me another small glimpse of community. Somehow the idea of planting a garden in my back yard got "planted" into my head. I knew I wanted to grow one before I moved into my future house with a backyard. I knew it was going to happen. I didn't know how much work it would be. I went to Wimberley to my parents house and borrowed some of my Dad's tools - two shovels and a large pick ax. I quickly found the shovels weren't working quickly so I tried to use the pick ax. This was much more effective, but after an hour I was exhausted and had only tilled a little bit of the soil. The next week I invited two friends to help me. One of my Chinese friends, Neng Wan, and another new friend Shaun Payne. They came over and in no time we had that job done. The worked hard and it was JOYFUL working with each other. They were not bitter that I had asked them to work, but we enjoyed each others company as they gracefully helped me out. This job was tiring and difficult by myself, but became fun, envigorating, and while not necessarily easy - the task became much more manageable and the burden lighter.
Another beautiful example of community happened within our small book studies community and pored out into our community at large. During our normal Tuesday night book study, someone asked what can we do in our neighborhood with - you know - OUR NEIGHBORS... Someone else suggested (not me), "We should do a neighborhood cook-out". Several others quickly responded "Let's do it" and we did it (through God's grace). It seemed a little frightening (i don't know why - afraid of the unknown maybe) at first - and almost didn't happen. While I wanted to do it, the group wavered - school was getting busy, halloween was coming, and many other "reasons" started coming to say maybe we should just do this "another time". Fortunately the courage of a freshmen to speak the truth and told us we should just do it and God will provide. God did provide - a campus ministry provided us with the money to get food - we bought 80 hotdogs and 40 hamburgers + drinks and snack foods. I would say well over 50 people came out, maybe upwards to 80 (at different times). People from our neighborhood, friends from college... Chinese, black, white, hispanic. All sorts of colors. Kids playing on the playground, adults talking with each other exclaiming, "we should do this again!" over and over again. The gift of community. The fruit of community creating community. 8 people helped plan bring 50 strangers together on a whim with flyers placed on every telephone pole within earshot. "If you build it, he will come" as a famous movie quote goes. If you do something in God's name and seeking after God he will show up (and in bigger ways than you may expect).
And from that, you ask? During that cookout, the first person to show up was a homeless man who called himself "Cowboy" (yeeeeeehaw!). Cowboy helped me get the charcoal lit and fire going, and we got to talk with him. Afterwards, he thanked us and God for the full belly. This wouldn't be the last we saw of Cowboy. The next chapter was talking about living among homeless people and the group decided, "HEY, why don't we make some tacos and stuff and - you know - go talk with some homeless folk". We split into 3 groups and all of us had some amazing encounters with some homeless people. We met Larry and Katherine through Cowboy in on group. Another group met "The Family" - Louie, Louie - Tony - George - David - Woody... these guys are now our friends. Every Friday a small group goes over to City Park - bringing some breakfast tacos and warm clothes - and just hang out with some of our friends who happen to not have a roof over their head. We listen to some (a lot) of their crazy stories, about their hard but interesting lives, and we learn to love them, and they bless our lives as we simply give them a little bit of cheap food. Our lives our blessed by serving them. What!!? That is crazy... Isn't that what that Jesus guy said. Anyways, we got a powerful glimpse of community by interacting with this homeless community. They may be alcoholics, but their sin is just out in the open. That seems much better than all my secret sin.
Today, one of my professors, a Christian - talks to our class (Public Administration) about the original public administors. They were church clergy. It was the idea that you "take a light, and put it on it's stand and it gives light to everyone in the house". My teacher said that. Afterwards we talked and he said something that confirmed what some other friends had been talking about. What the "Church" should be, and what the government is trying to be. Historically it is the church that is in charge of "social programs" and helping people in need. Now we have become a lazy church and we exclaim "GOVERNMENT! You feed our poor and give our homeless people homes. I gave you my tax dollars! We need more social programs!" But who is "the government". WE (the Church) are the people, and we have a responsibility to our Earth as God's stewards. We can't give away our responsibility to the government.
What he said was complex, yet simple. And it confirms every aspect of what happened with our community stuff this last semester. He said it should be as simple as getting believers together, identifying their spiritual gifts, seeking the Lord, and working together. Who said there is no formula's in life. That is it :) Seriously, "never underestimate the power of a small group of committed individuals to effect change. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has (Margeret Mead)." This is true! As we saw, a small group of committed individuals can do so much!
This is my in-work(ing) definition of community!
Labels: Christian community, Community, community defined, community in action
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