Shifting

I've just begun to realize exactly how much things are changing this year. Not only have I started back at college and am on staff at my church, but that seems to be affecting every other aspect of my life as well. I think I anticipated that, but I'm just starting to reflect on its reality. I feel like my role in my community and friendships has changed. Last year I wanted to be at and participate in everything. This year, I'm hanging back. Last year I wanted to know and be friends with everyone. This year, I'm choosing a smaller number of people to be more intentional with. Last year I was a member of a community. This year I'm helping to lead it. It's strange. It feels like its a good fit for my life right now, but its an adjustment, to be sure. I really am loving being a student at SPU. And I'm also loving working in missions and service, despite the fact that at this point its a lot of concept and not a lot of practice. Generally speaking, life is good. But is very different from what it looked like 2 months ago.

Life Together: The Retreat

Ladies and Gentlemen, This is the start of a series I will be doing in my blog while I read the book Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Enjoy, comment, dialogue. Ready? Go. Last night and this morning, I was privileged to participate in the UPC Deacon's Retreat. The events of the day include an overview of LT, a prayer labyrinth (more on this later), quiet time on the dock looking out over Lake Washington, and fun intergenerational fellowship. I would also like to note that the writer's block I've been experiencing for the last who-knows-how-long has finally been broken. Woot. I will not limit the number of blogs in this series, as there is so much in this book worth reflecting on, so be prepared for anything. To give you an idea, Life Together consists of five chapters: 1. Community 2. The Day with Others 3. The Day Alone 4. Ministry 5. Confession and Communion The chapter that struck me most today was #3, and I'm thus spending some time alone to reflect on it. I'm looking forward to this series though, and for the most part, I'll probably go in order as I read and have thoughts on something. Stick around, its gonna get interesting!

community

i'm fired up. here's why. i have a distinct vision for the kind of community (body of christ) that i want to be a part of, and i have felt for some time now that i might actually be in an environment where i have the opportunity to see that come to fruition. in fact, the conversations that i've been having with people in the last month or two have led me to believe that we are on the precipice of big change. however, i had a very enlightening conversation last night with a good friend of mine who is not a part of this community but is someone whose opinion i highly respect. she has been trying to break into this community, and invite her fiance who is adamantly against jesus to see what god's love really looks like. and break is the key word here. she has been making an effort, and been getting resistance from key people that i would have expected to be incredibly welcoming if for no other reason than this person is my friend. we have created this shell around us that makes it impossible for others to break into. and the thing is, they shouldn't have to. the community here that is already established should be thinking of ways to invite and welcome people into that, rather than close people off. because this friend of mine who is not a christian is having all of his preconceived notions about "the church" proven with our behavior. and my good friend who is making an effort with my friends in this community is not having that reciprocated. as a body of christ, THIS IS NOT OKAY. there are three crucial elements to the community that i personally want to cultivate. these are three characteristics that i think help develop community, as well as sustain it, and my explanations with these are how i see these terms, and are not necessarily the only things that could be included on this list. intentional: community does not develop and live on its own. it is up to the people in it to create, develop and sustain it. this means that it is a personal choice for each person involved. community will not work if there are people in it who are unwilling to invest. authentic: this is relatively broad, and can mean lots of different things, but here's what i'm thinking...community should be a place where people can be exactly who they are, no apologies, no condemnation, no judgment. only love and support. another friend of mine put it this way: it is coming alongside people in their journey. meeting them where they are and loving them in that. (this also relates the the intentional aspect of it, because authenticity cannot happen without intentionality, and people making the choice to love others, and trusting others with who they really are) challenging: this logically follows from being intentional and authentic. there comes a point after we meet someone where they are at and show them we love them where we then encourage them to grow. this is not forcing people to adhere to our own convictions, but encouraging growth in their own journey with god and themselves, whatever that looks like for them. but i feel that as brothers and sisters in christ, we have a responsibility to each other to love one another enough to not see them stagnate. i hope we can become a welcoming, inviting, intentional, authentic, and challenging community.