Sometimes we want to break out apprenticeship to Jesus into two class. The first class followers are the seminarians, pastors, and missionaries. The second class is everyone else. Those that consider themselves second class see those they consider to be first class as being more spiritually mature and doing more for the kingdom of God.

Unfortunately, it seems that sometimes this thinking can have the consequence of leading us to believe that if only we go to seminary, become a pastor or a missionary, then all of the other struggles in our life will come together. Our relationship with our husband or wife will be healed, we will be freed of our destructive behavior, and we will have a greater capacity for love. Maybe our longing for greater wholeness begins when we surrender our personal kingdoms to the will of our creator.

We also need to be reminded that all work that is consistent with God’s vision creates value and furthers the kingdom. It can be the humble work of a janitor, the creative contribution of an artist, or the advocacy of a lawyer or social worker. This work isn’t limited to that performed by clergy or missionaries.

Related: A talk from Nancy Ortberg on the gift of work.

I thought since the vows are fresh it would be good to go through each one and share a few thoughts. I started yesterday with a post about prayer and today I’ll talk a little about community.

One of the community rhythms that we have started practicing is reading a chapter of scripture with others out loud every day. We are currently reading through Romans. We started with Romans 1 on May 1 if you want to follow along. I have found that I get more out of scripture reading when I hear it out loud and can also read along. I also appreciate the opportunity to think about and discuss scripture with others on a daily basis.

Our community Bible seems to be the Complete Jewish Bible. See the image and link below. The author of this translation attempts to connect Christians with the Jewish roots of scripture and the faith. I’m really beginning to appreciate it. Instead of reading about the cross, we hear the execution stake. Instead of referring to Jesus we hear the Messiah Yeshua. Alice and I picked up a copy last week.



The word "community" rarely means the same thing between two people or between two groups of people. For me the term community refers to the group of people that I find myself trying to follow the Messiah Yeshua with. For Alice and I, this includes our cohort and ReImagine friends from around the Bay Area and our peninsula/south bay friends and family from MPPC and a few other local churches.

My observation is that community in the Bay Area tends to be formed around geographic location. Although this can pull people together at first, it is my hunch that community was intended to be formed around a calling or mission that serves to love the creator and creation. In thinking about my experiences with community, my greatest sense of it has always been found intentionally "in mission" either locally or abroad. What I mean is that my deepest sense of community has always been experienced while serving others with friends. When you sense a call to be the hands and feet of Yeshua in the world, grab some friends who are resonating with the same call and see what happens when you try to do something about it together.

For our community, the sense of call is taking shape around helping others discover life in the way of Yeshua the Messiah. It has been difficult at times because many of us live so far apart but I sense (and trust) that a deepening sense of mission will develop as we progress.

Tags: monasticism, community
  

Si has a post with some reflections on justice and mission. It got me thinking. In it he mentions Greg’s question regarding the story of the leper from Mark2 Who brought whom to Jesus? Was it the four who brought the one or the one who brought the four?”

He’s tired, confused, and lonely. He’s not much older than 30.
No where else to go. He has six months to live.
A life of intoxication, maybe drugs, numbing his senses to the pain and rejection of this world… of his lifestyle.
Late nights? Women’s clothes. Transvestite.
He’s dying. There’s no where else to go. He has six months to live.
He can’t sleep. The haunting of death. The comfort of mom.
Delirium and tremors. Alcohol withdraw. Valium.
They comfort him. They love him. They change him.
He runs away for a drink. They lead him back. He has six months to live.
He’s gentle. He has a kind heart. He has a beautiful smile.
He receives the sacrament. They anoint his head with oil. He falls into their arms.
They carry him. They mourn him. He receives him.

After my crude attempts to put this to words, I think it is both. Thanks for the encouragement and the reflection Si. Keep writing.