Once again, this is the final section of the Relevant article by Cameron Conant.
"My problem is that I want all the advantages of community and none of the obligations. Community is hard work. To enter into it, I must give up my time and resources. Jesus talked about this, about losing ourselves in order to find ourselves. Some of that happens when we enter into community and begin 'doing life' with those around us -- whether it's friends from church, people from other faiths, co-workers, or next-door neighbors. When we do this, we are often forced to check our independence at the door, yet the paradox is that we somehow find it as soon as we rid ourselves of it.
Community is also difficult because we have a tendency to compartmentalize our lives -- to think of our 'spiritual life' as different from our 'regular life,' to think of our 'church community' as different from our 'neighborhood community.' And when we begin compartmentalized, we miss the point entirely. We begin thinking that community has an on and off switch, something we choose rather than something to which we are inextricably connected.
'Community is not a 'value-additive' to faith,' says Doug Pagitt, pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis and the author of Reimagining Spiritual Formation. 'We are always in community; the question is what kind.' He notes that asking him about the theology of community (which I did) is like asking him about his theology of air. 'It is just what we breathe and what we need to live.'
Pagitt emphasizes the value in long-term engagement built on vulnerable relationships. That's foreign to those of us used to getting things instantly. Is there a book you want to read? Hop online and have it delivered tomorrow. Want to watch a movie? Try 'On Demand' video and watch it this minute. But community is a slow marinate of experiences and personalities that refuses to be cooked on high for two minutes. Relationships take time. My best friend is not someone I met yesterday.
But as Pagitt points out, relationships are not the same as community. Oftentimes, small groups have a tendency to create a sense of 'smallness' rather than a sense of 'communalness,' a sort of 'I know you, you know me, now we are both known,' Pagitt says. We have a tendency to confuse relationships with community, but while they are similar, they aren't the same. Relationships are certainly a part of community, but community is something much bigger than we are.
Maybe Hillary Clinton was right. Maybe it does take a village. I'm realizing that community is worth another try. Maybe I'll try to make it to the next Supper Club. It isn't the answer, but it might just be a step in the right direction."
Well, that's the article. Sorry it took so long for me to get it all out, but it was pretty long and I wanted you to digest each part of it individually. I think it's an excellent piece of writing and am curious to what you all have to say about it!
peace out
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Well, I may be the only one conversing about this article, but... ;-)
This last part just seems to fit right together with what happened in our small group tonight, doesn't it?
We kind of talked about this before...about how, when we started out, we weren't all too sure of one another and the conversation was more on a surface level. Tonight was REAL stuff...the kind of stuff that building authentic community (over a period of time) is all about.
And the whole "wanting the advantages but not the obligations" stuff has been really tough for me...it DOES require of me time and resources and surrendering some of my more intimate thoughts, but it's worth it on the other side of the surrender--I'm ALWAYS glad I've done it when it's over.
I was really blessed tonight by the interaction in our group, but I was also feeling conviction because I sat, for the most part, in silence...unwilling again to throw a part of myself into the pot. (Actually, I wasn't speaking more because I was on the verge of totally losing and sobbing all over the place than any other reason, but I'm still not sure that's a viable excuse.)
Good article...I'm going to "chew" on it some more. Thanks for sharing!!
Great article. After reading Dena's comments, I wish I would have been at small group Sunday night. God has really been dealing with my heart about being a part of the "community" and sharing myself with others. That is REALLY hard for me, but I am praying that God will change me. I also know that I am new to the small group and you all have gotten to know each other more, so it will take me some time. I have kept myself "safe" for years, by staying secluded. It's time for me to give that up and join the rest of the world. =)
It's hard for me, too, Amy. It's SOOO much easier for me to sit and be the "sponge" that soaks everything up than it is to be the one pouring out my heart, but I KNOW it has to go both ways for "community" to really function the way it should.
I've been asking God to change my heart as well...and I know He is. Sometimes I obey the prompting, sometimes I choose to stay "safe" and secluded...and disobedient. My friend Chad has been prodding me for years to be transparent with others and I'm getting there, but it's a daily battle to make that choice instead of staying behind the walls.
I understand your struggle and I'll be praying for you. And you can do the same for me. :-)
"We compartmentalize"
Wow, got me there. That is me 100%. I have my "school life" where I hardly allow the spirit to even move and then I have my "weekend life" where I come home and beg for his presence.
I think it all comes back to the fact that many of us are unwilling to actually "die to ourselves" and trust our lives completely to him. We are such individualists where the first person we look out for is ourself and then everyone else next. We want to take care of our problems ourselves and not call on others for the fear of looking weak. Many times in my life I fail to even consult God first with problems that I am having. For authentic community to take place, that has to change.
Good articles. I finally got around to reading them and as Dena said will meditate on them some more!
Post a Comment