Daley Ponderings

It's definitely a telling commentary on my life that the first chapter of Total Church, "Why Gospel?" was less exciting to me than the following chapter, "Why Community?".  I think the former is in my head only, where the latter is in my head and heart.

I do like the one section that talked about needless division over "word-centered" and "Spirit-centered" churches and the polarization over whether the sermon or the "ministry time" is more important.  And also people who reject "intellectualism" or "emotionalism". I guess there are two ways to not be extreme in either: one, to be "moderate" and neither think or feel "too much" and end up with a religion that is neither relational nor thought provoking.  I'd like to think that I fit into another category, where the heart and mind is part of a whole Christ-following person.

"It is tempting to stress the need for balance as if what we need is a bit of word and a bit of the Spirit or a bit of intellectualism and a bit of emotion.   But this is unhelpful.  The truth is that in the Bible word and Spirit always go together."

"When Jesus promises to send the Spirit, he says the Spirit 'will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you... when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.' ... It is the Spirit who makes Christ's words known to us, applying them to our lives and making them live.   They are not dead words, ancient history, a static set of instructions, or an encyclopedia of belief.  Through the Spirit they are the living, life-giving words of God."

The authors quote a friend who "struggled as a Brit fitting into American culture", because she would meet people who would say, "let's do lunch", but never scheduled anything.  "[It] was just an idiomatic way of saying farewell".  I learned sometime during college to always say what I mean.  Practically what that meant was that I didn't say I would pray for someone when they brought up something, and I don't ask people how they are doing as much as I used to.  I can't remember the movie, but there is a movie set in the future where instead of saying, "hello", people say, "hello-how-are-you-good-thanks-nice-weather-yes-i-agree", and I think it shows a truth of how people treat each other when meeting each other - they aren't actually listening, and don't actually care how people are doing.  For a while in college, a friend and I tried to actually answer people when they asked how we were doing, and prepared an answer (because otherwise, people have already walked past you if you stop to think how you are actually doing) and we discovered that people would often not even hear what we said.  Mom had a friend who used to answer telemarketers when they would ask how she was doing, "well, actually, this week has been really rough, I just found out that my husband is having an affair, my dog died and my son hasn't gone to school in a month."  She would get varying responses, but some telemarketers actually said, "good, I was wondering if you would be interested in buying ...."

Once I realized the truth about whether I actually cared about people's responses, it made me much more aware of how I was living, and then people learned that when I asked how they were doing, or said I would pray for them, etc. that I actually meant it.  (I have another sermon about saying you will pray for someone versus praying immediately, but that's for another day).

Back to the book...

"The New Testament word for community is koinonia, often translated by the now anemic word 'fellowship.'"

"The prevailing view of life today is that of an individual standing on his or her own, heroically juggling various responsibilities -- family, friendships, career, leisure, chores, decisions, and money.  We could also add social responsibilities like political activities, campaigning organizations, community groups, and school associations.  From time to time the pressures overwhelm us, and we drop one or more of the balls.  All too often church becomes one of the balls."

Heather said that when I was in the Dominican Republic, she was in "survival mode", and praying constantly just to make it through the next hour.  (She has often wondered how single moms manage).  But, she realized how really, we ought to be in "survival mode" all of the time, completely dependent on God and not trusting in ourselves to make it through the next day.

"In our experience, people are often enthusiastic about community until in impinges on their decision-making. For all their rhetoric, they still expect to make decisions by themselves for themselves.  We assume we are masters of our own lives."

The authors live in a community house called, "The Crowded House", and have had various experiences in a real community (I say "real", because I think people often think they live in a "community", but they have accepted the "anemic" definition instead of any real definition of community).

I like the close to the "Why Community?" chapter:

"If you are warm to this vision of Christian community, then start where you are.  Sell the vision by modeling the vision.  Don't become a pain to your existing congregation, telling them everything are doing is wrong [or forcibly breaking down the walls they hide behind, like I tend to do].  Become a blessing by offering hospitality, showing practical care, dropping in on people.  Create around you a group of Christians who will share their lives and encourage one another in the faith."

I can get so impatient with people and how long it takes people to get "comfortable" and willing to take a brick or two out of their wall.  I think the only people I know who talk/think about community the way I do bring a whole lot of other beliefs to the table and a lower priority of the bible than I think can be true. 

Is there anyone out there who believes that God is best glorified and the gospel effectively shared is through relationships and intentional community as we seek God's kingdom and to follow the steps He gives us, and believe that when God said things in scripture He actually meant them instead of trying to explain away scriptures so they don't mean anything?