Community

If you've talked to me this summer, this post won't be very new to you.  God has  been rocking my world from Spring Break until now with the idea of community.  When I was in high school, I could be described as disgustingly independent and arrogant of my status as a self-proclaimed super Christian.  I had an egotistical case of "give-me-Jesus" that saw other people as non-essential and even hindrances to my faith.  Thomas a Kempis carries some of this same feel as he talks about the inward life.  He describes leaving the world so he can pursue God.  This is often the case in monastic thought, and I was a monk in 11th grade.

At this point, Friar David really loved to be recognized as spiritually mature.  He would never get really honest with people, because then everyone would see how immature he really was.  For this reason, he strayed from community because appearance was just so important.

A lot changed when I went to college.  I lived with guys who wanted to be more like Jesus.  I was in classes with these guys and hung out with them.  I realized I really enjoyed authentic community.  I talked about hard stuff with these guys and they got real with me.  I didn't always keep up my monastic, saintly exterior.  I allowed myself to be honest and I realized how important that honesty was to my soul.

That summer, I worked at Deer Run Retreat Center.  It was by far the best summer of my life.  I lived in tight community on a team with 21 other college students who were passionate about Jesus.  We were a team.  The first two weeks were made up of training in which we did a lot of the usual team building exercises.  We also spent every night sharing testimonies.  This was integral to our team unity because it built such trust.  Everyone knew everyone else's business and we loved each other and the Lord so much more because of that.  I lived in a single room with 8 other guys and I miss those times.  I was encouraged so many times in so many ways by so many people.  I love each of my staff members dearly and I long for more time with them.

This last year of school I took a trip to Rhode Island where we partnered with a evangelical church in the area.  The thing that struck me most was the community emphasis there.  Every part of the service was focused on the congregation as a whole.  From worship to prayers to the sermon, even transitions, every part of the service was focused on the body of Christ as a whole.  On Sunday nights, they had what they call "service review."  The church gathers in small groups in people's homes to discuss the service.  They prayed for one another and ate together.  This church was a beautiful picture of the body of Christ.

God has been so gracious to me in teaching me about community.  I have grown in humility and love for others because I've learned more about God's design for relationships.  I look forward to continue to see God teaching in this way.