Posts Tagged community
Community, From the Beginning to the End
Posted by Joel in Devotional on November 18, 2010
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This is actually a conglomeration of thoughts from two classes this week.
In the first class, the topic of community and individualism came up. To think that we have always seen a push towards individualism is to not know the history of either civilization of Christianity. Just the opposite is true, which is why we read ‘body of Christ’, ‘we all’, and ‘We the People…’. (Although, in reality, the ‘People’ of that last document was only white, land owning males.’) The sense of corporate direction is present throughout human civilization and thought.
But, the press towards individualism came up again in the first class this week. My response was that from the very beginning, we were made for community, and depending on the Creation account, in community:
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:27 NLT)
In the second account, man was created first and then woman. But, why? When Adam was created, he was alone. Nothing, no plant made for him, no animal made for him and all of Creation could not feel that gap in his humanity. So, God created Ishshah. Why? Because without another, a human is lonely.
And then, reading last night in Romans, someone brought up Romans 14 as a standout in which we read about the community of the Saints. (Or Romans 16, for that matter). If we are all one in Christ –
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. (Romans 12:4-5 NLT)
There was a community in the beginning which was purposed to commune with God; and now, we have a community of one another, to commune with God through Christ.
New Blog Series: Scripture in Community (Introduction)
While reading T. Scott Daniels’ Seven Deadly Spirits, an idea that had been festering with me for a while found a genesis. He writes,
I would suggest that we discover what it means to call the spirit of the church to repentance as we learn to read Scripture well in community (p134).
He notes that when we read Scripture in such a way, it creates a ‘unique people’ and quotes 1st Peter 2.9. Further,
In other words, we read Scripture in community to learn to interpret ourselves and the world as Christians…..simply, each time the community gathers around Scripture, we are holding up the revelation of God’s character as a contrast model to our own. (p135)
….the redeeming of the deadly spirit of a church can only fully be achieved as we also learn to embody the Scriptures in community. (p136)
So, in that light, I want to try to read Scripture as a Community. This community, believe or not, I see as encompassing me, you, them, they, and the others as well. Atheists, unbelievers, non-believers, and yes, even Baptists. Gay, straight and even Mark Stevens. Biblical scholars, students, theologians, and even those who read the bible. Can we begin to embody the Scripture? Can we really begin to look at our neighbors who are the same journey, but maybe a different place, and seek their counsel? Can we allow questioning and seek answers that aren’t as ‘pat’ as there were in the last generation, or even last week?
So, for the next few weeks, I will be posting Scriptural passages. I invite you to contribute your thoughts and interpretations, even if you merely laugh at it and say ‘hogwash’. I intend for the passages to be controversial as Holy Writ is supposed to be, so I will pick those that showcase the brutality of God, the exclusivity of the Christian community, and the promised end to all those who oppose God in Christ. Or, I may showcase the holiness of God, the equality of the Christian community, and the new hope for all those who oppose God in Christ. Feel free to simply post commentaries from other sources. And, to suggest what passages we might want to discuss next week.
I’m going to try this, for about a month or so, and see how well it goes.
Church Discipline – When is it okay to Abandon People?
Posted by Joel in Church Discipline, Matthew on July 21, 2009
First, let me say that the author of the blog, Church Discipline, is a well reasoned, and balanced individual who has some biblical insights into this controversial subject. I thought that I might give a few thoughts myself. You might also want to check out this site as well.
The Church is a Community, a nation, a people, and each congregation is a subset of the larger Community. We have our leaders, our own financial system, our own by-laws, and our own culture. We also have our own justice system, so to speak. We are called to constantly exceed the righteousness (even self-righteousness) of the religious world around us. Further, we are called to be the first to apologized, whether we are wrong or the wronged. Further, the leader/congregant model is often seen as shepherd/flock; indeed, ‘pastor’ is better translated as shepherd.
It’s Deplorable what is being Ignored
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on July 7, 2009
Friends, the world watches as the people of Iran, China, and Honduras fight for life and freedom, while the Darfur genocide goes on, and people starve in the richest country in the world – and Americans entrance themselves in the death of a pop icon. I am watching the Twitter feeds of ‘journalists’ and lay people alike. While many glue themselves to the Michael Jackson funeral, some are trying to uphold real news by twittering about Iran.
I try not to get too political on this blog, but this is beyond politics – it’s about priorities. Can you imagine the difference it would make in Appalachia, or the inner cities, or the rural areas, if the cable news networks would devote as much attention to poverty and other social ills as they have to the death and burial of Michael Jackson?
Can you imagine what would happen if journalists took the stand as the gentleman below?
I am not going to quote this article, but I hope that you will take the time to read it, and to pass it on.
What passes for real journalism these days is a travesty of what it should be:
Op-Ed Columnist – A Journalist’s ‘Actual Responsibility’ – NYTimes.com.
Church throws support behind couple facing deportation
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on April 16, 2009
From the hometown newspaper (WV Gazette) –
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Victims of war and target of ethnic cleansing, Ivan and Violetta Petrosyan fled their native country of Azerbaijan in the 1980s.
For nearly two decades, ethnic prejudice and violence continued to follow the family until a South Charleston mission group led them to settle in West Virginia in 2006.
“We couldn’t find a country [where] we belong,” Violetta Petrosyan said Tuesday. ” We were harassed and treated wrongly. We had hoped that in America that proclaims freedom and human rights, we might get the chance to have a country where we belong.”
The couple found what they had been seeking in Charleston, and soon after arriving on a tourist visa in December 2006 they applied for political asylum.
Former New York Times reporter looks at growth of interfaith movements
Posted by Joel in Atheism, Islam, Religious News on August 30, 2008
Unlike many Fundamentalists, I don’t dismiss Interfaith dialogue quickly, as I have seen the fruits of Interfaith assistance on certain issues, however, many of these Interfaith groups readily dismiss any idea of a separation of doctrine, insisting that true tolerance is to acknowledge that everyone is equally correct. Therefore, Muslim and Christian are equal religions, as is Hinduism, Buddhism, and Atheism – all leading to the same path. This is wholly (or unholy) false. If this is true, then Christ suffered and died for naught.
Former New York Times reporter looks at growth of interfaith movements – Los Angeles Times.
