Here in the middle of studying, I figured I'd get these thoughts down before I lose them(and also to stop these thoughts from interrupting my studies). Just yesterday, I blogged a bit about how happy community is making me these days. I didn't use the word, but that was the general idea- having friends that you really share life with can really make you feel alive and existing as a family, as a body, with different functions that make the whole work well.
Well, today, I went to a Christ Church with a friend. This is a church I've been to a few times this semester, and it seems that every time I go, God has something to tell me from the pastor who's speaking, and something specific related to what I've already been pondering. I remember earlier this semester really feeling like I needed to start a group with prayer as the foundation, and that week, the sermon was on prayer.
This week is another case in point. The sermon was titled "Gospel Community Transformation." So many of the things he said spoke straight to me. Early in the sermon, he spoke about something related to my last thoughts yesterday- about times of transition and how God is the ultimate community. He brought up an interesting point that seemed to come out of left field- we're made in the image of God. Ok, how does that relate to community? It relates because God exists as a unit- as a community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Maybe this is why we want community- because we are in the image of a God who is made perfect in community.
Dr. Gardner also touched on the whole American dream of individualism and how it really doesn't work. I've seen that as true in my life. Many times in my life, I've been proud in my mind to think of how independent I am, but I still felt something lacking. Being able to have other people carry your burdens really lightens your load so you can see the needs of others around you.
All of this leads to something kind of obvious: in order to transition from this rugged individualism to a community-focused mindset, there needs to be a transformation of our thinking(like in Romans 12). We need to stop trying to conform to the world and be transformed by the renewing of our minds. From that comes the actions, from that comes true love, true worship. We can't just do it from the outside, but the truth of the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit are our fuel. From individually changing, we change the whole community and are able to be the loving place we need in this life and the next. And we mirror what is going to happen in the New Jerusalem. I can't wait for that time, but something about being able to (however imperfectly) mirror it now excites me completely!
Anyway, I think God's trying to tell me something here. And I hope that this will help someone else out there.
Well, today, I went to a Christ Church with a friend. This is a church I've been to a few times this semester, and it seems that every time I go, God has something to tell me from the pastor who's speaking, and something specific related to what I've already been pondering. I remember earlier this semester really feeling like I needed to start a group with prayer as the foundation, and that week, the sermon was on prayer.
This week is another case in point. The sermon was titled "Gospel Community Transformation." So many of the things he said spoke straight to me. Early in the sermon, he spoke about something related to my last thoughts yesterday- about times of transition and how God is the ultimate community. He brought up an interesting point that seemed to come out of left field- we're made in the image of God. Ok, how does that relate to community? It relates because God exists as a unit- as a community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Maybe this is why we want community- because we are in the image of a God who is made perfect in community.
Dr. Gardner also touched on the whole American dream of individualism and how it really doesn't work. I've seen that as true in my life. Many times in my life, I've been proud in my mind to think of how independent I am, but I still felt something lacking. Being able to have other people carry your burdens really lightens your load so you can see the needs of others around you.
All of this leads to something kind of obvious: in order to transition from this rugged individualism to a community-focused mindset, there needs to be a transformation of our thinking(like in Romans 12). We need to stop trying to conform to the world and be transformed by the renewing of our minds. From that comes the actions, from that comes true love, true worship. We can't just do it from the outside, but the truth of the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit are our fuel. From individually changing, we change the whole community and are able to be the loving place we need in this life and the next. And we mirror what is going to happen in the New Jerusalem. I can't wait for that time, but something about being able to (however imperfectly) mirror it now excites me completely!
Anyway, I think God's trying to tell me something here. And I hope that this will help someone else out there.
Dear Kelsey,
ReplyDeleteI like it when you blog. :)
love,
Madeleine