Archive for category Community - Lane 2
100 Words or Less
Posted by Chance in Community - Lane 2, Outreach - Lane 4, Spiritual Growth on March 4th, 2010
In response to a sermon series by Ron Woods, I wanted to create a forum where people could post their homework assignment. I know most people didn’t do it, but that isn’t your fault. It is probably a low accountability hangover from your previous educational experience. I know that I have suffered those myself and even created them for others.
However, let’s grow together.
What is your story?
The critical contrast is Jesus Christ, so respond and let us know what story you are prepared to tell to those who the Holy Spirit leads you to.
Chance
The Fire is Almost Out!
Posted by Chance in Community - Lane 2, Spiritual Growth on January 23rd, 2010
The month of January sees a surge of newness in many of the things we do. Research and studies have found that gym memberships, dieting, and healthy habits are at their highest during the month of January. The word in the gym is not to be frustrated. Most people will be gone by February and the reality is that the retail side is aware of this. That’s why they sell yearly memberships.
The problem is that you can’t just get a yearly membership to spiritual growth.
We also see a surge in January of bible reading, praying, and intentional actions of worship. We see the same in the other lanes of spiritual growth. We focus more on friendships, serving, and helping those less fortunate. Then it hits us. Like an invisible wave that we don’t even detect with our natural senses, our souls are extinguished. The red hot coals are covered by the ash of our initial bursts of activity. Then we spend the next part of our year in limbo between nurturing the heat from the smothered fire and leaving to get fuel to stoke it back up. This indecision leads to guilt, sadness, shame, and stillness as we grow cold waiting for something new.
It reminds me of camping with my boys. They are always excited to start the fire. It could be two in the afternoon, 105 degrees, and we just arrived and all they want to do is start the fire. Fast forward to dusk and it seems that we are back to the urgency of the fire. We get it going, but lack the resources and support to keep it going. We burn through the kindle in a flash and turn to realize our own laziness has left us with nothing to keep the fire going. They don’t want to stray from the fire too far to find what is necessary, so they scour until dad sneaks over with the gasoline, some appropriate firewood, and a fireball from a lighter.
There are lessons that would include preparation, attitude, and dedication, but I think once the fire is simmering and you realize that it’s not as hot, you need to call on those people around you to help you. They will have some strategies to help you light back up. Ultimately, other people will reconnect you with God so that he can be your source.
Build Your Community or it Won’t Matter How Big You Build Your Fire!
Click on the pic above to find a community at The Assembly
Chance
Calling for Community
Posted by Chance in Community - Lane 2, Spiritual Growth on November 2nd, 2009
Ephesians 4:15-16 (New Living Translation)
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Starting with creation in Genesis 2, God saw that man was not at their best by themselves. Even all the animals and elements of creation were not sufficient for the development of man. Therefore, God created community/relationship.
Since this time, we have created a paradox by which we develop an ever increasing community with a growth rate that has truly become exponential through technology and global connectedness. In contrast, our connection to each other has become superficial, deflective, and ineffective. This reality has been highlighted by a culture of vocabulary that calls for authenticity, realness, and relationship.
Perhaps what calls for community more than our vocabulary is our inner being, the intangible soul that causes us to crave for a community/relationship that allows for openness, truth, and growth. This leads us to the paradox of personal spiritual growth; We must have a relationship with God and man.
The author Henry Cloud sums this up more eloquently when he stated, “[People] grow first through their connection with God, but also through their connection with other people in his Body. And as we have seen, if they don’t have the latter, they don’t have all the former.”
Therefore, one of our conclusions is that God, you, and others are not only calling for you to create community, but need you to create community. Furthermore, this community is defined through acceptance, grace, experience, emotion, trust, healing, sacrifice, and servant-hood.
Spend the rest of the week defining your relationships.
Who are they?
How healthy are they?
Are they helping you know more about God?
Are they helping you grow?
Chance
