Community
On one of the Blog's I frequently find my self reading I found this excellent article on authentic community:
Before modern chemistry was king, there was alchemy, an ancient science that sought, among other things, to change base metals like lead into precious gold. The eighth century alchemist, Jabir Ibn Hayyan, suggested that properly rearranging the hotness, coldness, dryness, and moistness of one metal would transform it into another kind of metal. Sounds silly from the viewpoint of modern science, doesn't it?
But in the 20th century, churches began attempting to engineer community in much the same way. By properly arranging location, building design, music production, speaking style, and other elements, it was thought that authentic community could be sparked into existence. Much of that belief still influences the churches we see today.
Jump over Hungry and thirsty to read the rest of this excellent article called Contrived Community:Hungry and Thirsty
Before modern chemistry was king, there was alchemy, an ancient science that sought, among other things, to change base metals like lead into precious gold. The eighth century alchemist, Jabir Ibn Hayyan, suggested that properly rearranging the hotness, coldness, dryness, and moistness of one metal would transform it into another kind of metal. Sounds silly from the viewpoint of modern science, doesn't it?
But in the 20th century, churches began attempting to engineer community in much the same way. By properly arranging location, building design, music production, speaking style, and other elements, it was thought that authentic community could be sparked into existence. Much of that belief still influences the churches we see today.
Jump over Hungry and thirsty to read the rest of this excellent article called Contrived Community:
posted by Carl at 6:48 PM
2 Comments:
Let's get er done. Real community is not just fellowship. It is communitas which is birthed through crisis and missional ownership!
Good read, Carl.
Community for me is real relationship. I read somewhere once..on a poster or something. "A true friend is one that has seen every side of you and still loves you". We have to come to the place that we love each other because we do not because of the place we meet them or the style of their clothes. For me I want the community that I can be me and know that the people I am in relationship in with are there because they love me and they want to grow and see me grow to be more Christ like through all of the journey we are on.
I dont like the idea of us only reaching "like" people but I know humans are like that. So I hope as we develop community we are able to overcome that obstacle.
On another note I think we try too hard to make something just like the metals thing. Are we not all a part of many communities: work, neighborhood, soccer, homeschool,college,even some internet. So instead of trying to reinvent the wheel maybe just maybe we should pour ourselves into transforming those communities we all ready reside in.
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