Jesus didn’t say, “I was in prison and you wrote a book for me, I was naked and you complained on your blog about the church’s failure to clothe me, I was sick and you raised money for your salaries using a picture of me,†and so on.
– Brian McLaren
HT: Duncan McFadzean
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
SSL :: the rule of life
SSL :: duncan mcfadzean talks about micro-financing
It is the Christians, O Emperor, who have sought and found the truth, for they acknowledge God.
They do not keep for themselves the goods entrusted to them.
They do not covet what belongs to others. They show love to their neighbors.
They do not do to another what they would not wish to have done to themselves.
They speak gently to those who oppress them, and in this way they make them friends.
It has become their passion to do good to their enemies.
They live in the awareness of their smallness.
Every one of them who has anything gives ungrudgingly to the one who has nothing.
If they see a traveling stranger, they bring him under their roof.
They rejoice over him as over a real brother, for they do not call one another brothers after the flesh, but they know they are brothers in the Spirit and in God.
If they hear that one of them is imprisoned or oppressed for the sake of Christ, they take care of his needs.
If possible they set him free.
If anyone among them is poor or comes into want while they themselves have nothing to spare, they fast two or three days for him.
In this way they can supply any poor man with the food he needs.
This, O Emperor is the rule of life of the Christians, this is their manner of life. — Asistides 137 AD
When we think about mission trips, we offer want to go and build churches. Perhaps we’re going to build the wrong type of churches. Perhaps rather than building a church building we should be building “real church” that’s based on relationships and friendships that last forever.
Mars Hill Church in Seattle has begun welcoming Txt messaging during their Sunday morning services as part of a Q&A with pastor Mark Driscoll. This is also something they’ve been doing at several conferences the church has been a part of or hosted.
We’ve discussed txt messaging at encounter but haven’t quite put into effect yet. I love the idea of interaction between the congregation/lay people and the pastor during the service and the interaction between each person in the congregation.
We had a unique experience yesterday at encounter (no video/audio/picture archives were made) where we sat up 3 unique rooms with chairs all facing inward so we were “forced” to look at one another rather than simply stare at a stage or screen where someone talks and sings “to us.”
I loved it. Felt very community like. Fit right in with the taking of the Eucharist or communion (coming together in union). We moved from room to room as Brian spoke about the blood and body of Christ and in the final room we sat gathered around a cross where Brian spoke of Christ freeing us from our bondage. He offered an opportunity for folks to share what this freedom in Christ meant to them.
Usually when we have times for response we get limited numbers of response but something about yesterday really encouraged the interaction. We had people from all sides of the room speaking out and sharing their thoughts. Several even played off one another.
I think this type of interaction is vital to our churches. I hope we can see more of it.
Related ::
HT: Monday Morning Insight
Mars Hill
Mars Hill :: Text Life
Mars Hill :: Live Texting
Twitter at church
SSL :: Social Networking and the church
“Church communities ought to be cauldrons of theological participation and imagination. that’s why we make churches… we are supposed to gather together in communities to engage in theological participation and imagination just as Christians have done all along.”
– Doug Pagitt
Aug 30, 2007
emergent village podcast