LIVING TOGETHERIn town the other day I saw this man offering a book to passers-by, and curious I approached him. The book on offer was called ‘Survivor’ by Dave McKay, a rebuttal of the Tim La Haye ‘Left Behind’ series which covers End -time events in a fictionalised way. The young man offering the book (for a donation) told me he was part of a non-denominational Christian group based in Australia, who live in community. Later I discovered that the group in question call themselves the Jesus Christians and believe in a radical New Testament form of Christianity based on a shared communal experience. While I approached their web site with some scepticism, after reading various articles on the group I was impressed by their commitment to a form of Christian living that I have long been convinced is nearer the New Testament norm than the usual Churchianity which so many believers still settle for.
My first real encounter with community-living Christians was many years ago at Darvell in East Sussex where a group of about 200 people live together at the Bruderhof ,basing their rule on principles from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. They also practise pacifism as well as sharing of goods and were quietly impressive to my youthful idealism in a mildly eccentric fashion. I became convinced then that many of the principles we find in the pages of the New Testament can only be fully realised within a community setting,as it was in Jerusalem(Acts 2:42-47).
Last night as we came together to continue our study of Habakkuk, the question of community again came up in the context of how do we really show love for one another when we live in a society where people lead fragmented often solitary lives. Even our church meetings only scratch the surface of real fellowship where we meet up for an hour or two a week,and never really getting to know each other at a deep level, and then when crises hits our lives we find ourselves alone and isolated crying out to God for help! This is not to criticise church meetings, as often they are the only show in town and the only means whereby a Christian can experience any kind of fellowship.
Apart from community,it seems to me so many of Jesus instructions for our lives are nothing more than pious aspirations, difficult to realise in our dis-jointed fellowship state. Interesting to note that when Jesus used an image to describe the effect of a radical witness by His church, he describes it as the ‘city set on a hill’ and ‘the light of the world’ (Matthew 5:14) , a single expression for the collective effect of believers working and living together. We come to Christ individually and He deals with us as we are, then by His Spirit we are drawn to other believers and become part of the community of faith,the body of Christ -
My first real encounter with community-living Christians was many years ago at Darvell in East Sussex where a group of about 200 people live together at the Bruderhof ,basing their rule on principles from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. They also practise pacifism as well as sharing of goods and were quietly impressive to my youthful idealism in a mildly eccentric fashion. I became convinced then that many of the principles we find in the pages of the New Testament can only be fully realised within a community setting,as it was in Jerusalem(Acts 2:42-47).
Last night as we came together to continue our study of Habakkuk, the question of community again came up in the context of how do we really show love for one another when we live in a society where people lead fragmented often solitary lives. Even our church meetings only scratch the surface of real fellowship where we meet up for an hour or two a week,and never really getting to know each other at a deep level, and then when crises hits our lives we find ourselves alone and isolated crying out to God for help! This is not to criticise church meetings, as often they are the only show in town and the only means whereby a Christian can experience any kind of fellowship.
Apart from community,it seems to me so many of Jesus instructions for our lives are nothing more than pious aspirations, difficult to realise in our dis-jointed fellowship state. Interesting to note that when Jesus used an image to describe the effect of a radical witness by His church, he describes it as the ‘city set on a hill’ and ‘the light of the world’ (Matthew 5:14) , a single expression for the collective effect of believers working and living together. We come to Christ individually and He deals with us as we are, then by His Spirit we are drawn to other believers and become part of the community of faith,the body of Christ -
- Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
(1 Corinthians 12:13-27)
…and through His body (the church) Jesus continues to work in this world as He did when he walked upon the earth.
There is only one powerful Scripture that I can conclude this piece with,our masthead verses from Psalm 133...
There is only one powerful Scripture that I can conclude this piece with,our masthead verses from Psalm 133...
” How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity ! It is like precious oil poured on the head,running down the beard,running down on Aaron's beard,down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the Dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord commands his blessing,even life for evermore.”
Gerard O'Shea
For more info on the two communities mentioned here visit :
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1 comment:
Enjoyed your thoughts on community and found the sites you mentioned to be very interesting.
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