Found a great podcast featuring Mark Scandrette during my break. In it, he addresses 5 Myths of Community.
“If we want real community like the early church… we must be willing to embrace hurt and suffering… because love is costly.”
Sounds very counter-intuitive to the American dream and empire.
The 5 myths of community ::
- the right church/group will meet my needs for companionship and spiritual growth
He hit on some encounter-esque issues here as well.
He shared how for a long time he’d have people over and everyone would just sit and complain about their gory spiritual past – how they were burned in church before and how this and that went wrong.Mark quickly realized that if happened once over brunch, it would happen every time they met.
“Finally I decided if I’m done having these kind of hookups. If I’m gonna get together with others we’re gonna do something. We’re gonna go hang out with the addicts, we’re gonna make art, we’re gonna cook food. We’re gonna get beyond conversation.”
- the myth of the healthy skeptic
There are folks who are always critical about the church and/or group and have a tendency to try and armchair coach the community. This is one I’ve struggled with in the past (and probably to some extent today).
Instead of sitting around and complaining, “If we don’t like the way things are – lets make them different together.” And as we try and tell folks at encounter, “if an idea comes to you about something that should happen – you’re probably the one that’s been called to make it happen.” - the myth of the super leader
Having a great community is not all about a silver bullet leader. - the myth of flat leadership
As a response to the rock-star leaders, many in our generation are saying forget leaders all together. Let’s get rid of all leaders.
But Mark suggests that community must be initiated by someone. Otherwise folks are just sitting around doing nothing. That’s not community.
“There’s a way to have teamship in leadership (without the rock-star leader). And community comes from mutual-submission.” - the myth of a community without conflict
Where many people (myself included) want to jump off. If there’s a conflict of personality, if there’s a conflict of ideas, if it takes effort — many people want to say, we’ll that’s not the group for me. There must be a better group out there for me.
But in reality, the conflict builds the community.
Finally Scandrette shares a stinging challenge.
“Every time you look at someone this week – look at them right in the eyes and look at them as if you were looking in the face of Jesus.”
Can you do that? Would it change the way you respond to people? How?
Do you agree or disagree with these myths?
