I spoke to my tribe yesterday and encouraged them to think about new ways to express & understand Christian community. (You can listen to the message online via the encounter website.)
Got one comment about me turning into Karl Marx – but I think it was in jest and if that’s the worst they can say… it was a good day ;-).
As I think more and more about my tribe, and Christian community other thoughts are crossing my mind.
I keep asking myself this same question, “So what does this tribe, this community, this oneness look like?” As I mentioned yesterday, “I’m not entirely sure — especially in modern America.”
But I do know this ::
Jesus told his disciples, “By this all men will know you are my disciple — if you love one another.” — John 13:34 & 35.
Seems that Christian brotherhood and sisterhood and community and unity were very big on Jesus’ plan/plate.
In the Hebrew Scriptures we read about the “tribes of Israel.”� The 12 tribes whom God called upon to be different in their culture. To be set apart. To be unique.
He calls them to accept the foreigner into their homes.
He calls them to ignore the idol worship of their neighbors.
He calls them to put their trust in Yahweh rather than in a king, or a Pharaoh or a President.
He calls them to honor the Sabbath — a day you set aside all your business of the 24/7 consumerism and focus on God — the creator of it all.
And so the Hebrews get very accustomed to this calling of being “separate” from the world (not that anyone’s ever really figured that out).
And then Jesus shows up on the earth and starts telling everyone that he was forming a new tribe.
A tribe where the Hebrews would join together with the Gentiles. No wonder they got upset and had him killed. That in and of itself could be considered blasphemy.
A tribe for all who were baptized into Christ and have clothed themselves with Christ.
Where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.
It’s a radical idea and I believe it calls for radical changes in our thinking and behavior.
When the tribe succeeds – everyone succeeds!
related ::
encounter
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