We are a people a community of more than two people, for it is not good for mankind to be ‘alone’ was one of the early words of conversations between the community of heaven.   Why was this not good? as the alone does not represent God, God is never singular,  never just one always in a community, a covenant of relationships, an expiration in more than one.   Mankind is to be a demonstration of this movement of God, this Divine Dance, it is not good to be ‘alone’.

Our community, the body is the joining of two or more people who have been intentional (Intentional is an important word for the Christ follower, a practical disposition being intentional, being intentional in our Christ likeness, life style and work), these who have agreed to cultivate their action around the ways of Jesus and intentionally love one another—caring, growing, and serving.       All are equal participants; everyone seeks to grow; everyone builds in the lives of the others; everyone understands that the ultimate purpose of the community is to display God and bring its implication to influence our larger world.

“Simple people can be amazingly powerful when they are members one of another. As everyone knows, it is almost impossible to create a fire with one log, even if it is a sound one, while several poor logs may make an excellent fire if they stay together as they burn.” 

Elton Trueblood

A life together, this covenant life of community and UNION has several expressions that demonstrates a life of God Movement;

The natural one and first one that comes to mind is a covenant, a community a demonstration of heavens way in marriage, the union of “…these two shall become one…” is an intensive experience.   Life close up, working being intentional to know each other, the depths of feeling and emotions.   Nothing kept from each other, we trust, the marriage  journey is often about finding the words to express my inner being to another, experiences and emotions to make known to your spouse whats going on inside.   No secrets, pushing each other for growth, taking with intent such experiences as cooperating, love, grace, generosity, thankfulness.   Unfortunately the catalogue of where I miss it is quite full, but there are times when we get it right.    This experience of UNION of community has done more to change me, I know it saved me as well.

Being part of a community of people who will sit together, eat together, build each other, correct each other, believe for each other, speak of joys, goals, misses and sadness, lives intricacy woven into each other.   This has been my experience,  a rich covenant with men and women, who have journey together.   No one there for their own agenda but willing to sow everything they have for a mutual community advance.    We laugh a lot together we cried together, more than that we broke things open together and for one another, as well as we saw God together.    This is no less an intentional covenant life style.

There have been men, men who have been very close over the last 35 years that have been given to serving Christ to see the agenda of God in Restoration who have also committed to each other.   With these we spent hours together, talking personal stuff, debated what we read, provoked each other in what God was saying, scenario‘-ed’ the future, travelled together as we gave ourselves from our own personal agendas and what we had to do to be with the other person so we could spend time together, dug gardens together, repaired cars, painted rooms, mover furniture, but the centre was an outworking of God relationship.

The People I belong to, the church – ekklesia offer another opportunity for a broad experience of community.   We met in large rooms sining and listening to teaching, i cant say we discover the place of transparency in the corporate setting.    But there is something we must and cannot loose the intentionality of ‘gathering’, sharing hugs, exchanging words, knowing that this community is there for us and us for them if the circumstance necessitate it.   Its being INTENTIONAL in gathering rather than just seeing what happens , but INTENTIONAL in being corporate with people of great difference, learning to love God and express God in that one way

I am challenged when I come across people who have committed to live very practically in commitment, not to withdraw for a people a society but to be live in the midst of it.   I wonder if you or I could live like that?   Various degrees of common pot, may be not, but what about sharing house, what ever it is it could be to purchase a village together over time so we all live to demonstrate to a broken world a whole life style.   Not sure if I could do that  but it is covenantal and mankind not being alone.   Living close building a demonstration of care, involved lives

We have over the years  strived to be open and inclusive to many, opening our lives and home up, using our dinning table as a tool to express life together.   Having groups of people around us, pouring life out and receiving life from all who are together.     Our goal was to press into them the things we believed Jesus has taught us over these many years as well as helping them to discover this and more for themselves.     We have taken special delight in these people and consider them to be sons and daughters in the faith.

Become convinced that the word community, like marriage, ought to be reserved for collections of people who make their relationship a very sacred trust.

Community is at the core of the genuine Christian life.
It is not an optional experience but is essential
It is actually indispensable
God has many things to reveal to us that could not or would not happen if one stuck to a solo experience of faith.

There are two African proverbs I love to consider, one Desmond Tutu used often Ubuntu a definition of “human-ness”, and is often translated as “humanity towards others,”, I am as we are…   Then there is an old African proverb which challenges my thinking. “Alone, I have seen many marvellous things, none of which are true.”   Truth—God’s voice—is best recognised and affirmed in community.

It is together that we learn what it means to be community, to be a Relational Movement, to reflect God and be God’s family.

Today is a world dominated by motifs and signs, its the world we live in, clothing which is validated by a certain motif printed or embroidered on the chest, on the sleeve or where ever its there for all to see your affiliation, belonging to that group or culture.    Do we attend the correct club, have we the right football attire for belong, am i part of the cool crowd.   Do we have the right brand to be part.    Brands are silent way of ’name dropping’ as a way of being accepted.   This way of life that has been so assimilated into us all only tells us that we all want to belong to the new, next, and right thing, or people group what ever…

mo·tif – mōˈtēf/Submit, noun

a decorative design or pattern.
“T-shirts featuring spiral motifs”
synonyms: design, pattern, decoration, figure, shape, device, emblem, ornament
“a colorful tulip motif”
a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.
“the nautical motif of his latest novel”
synonyms: theme, idea, concept, subject, topic, leitmotif, element; through line
“a recurring motif in her work”

Our world can be often moulded and controlled with the a disconnected orphan mindset and we do all we can to put on the right stuff, mould our language to be part of the crowd, to fit in with people, all of us all humanity wants to be accepted.

Yet there is another belonging, one that will bring peace to this journey for fitting in, for identity, this deep cry for belonging, being part. You see no-one is an island or self made we all are part with a desperate need of belonging, a few create belonging around themselves but most just belong to something. There is a WE of community, this community will bring an end to the orphan sprint that humanity must deal with. Its the WE of the church, the ekklesia of God “the called out…and given the surname of God” the people of God. A community that is journeying in its sonship, sonship is the only remedy to find a relief from the demand of living as an orphan. The WE community of sonship deals with the non-belonging of orphan status, thrusting the ME into the upside down world of WE into a family, the family of god and the UNION within the Covenant of God, this life of participating in God.

The UNION we have been brought in that WE might enjoy comes with it a responsibility to live life to the full, a WE kind of life that does away with gossip, intimidation, anger, and dishonesty.   That the relationship of God we have been brought into and are to enjoy has a cry to live a quality of life, that the WE demonstrates UNION life, the face-to- face, eye-to-eye view between Father, Son and Holy Spirit we have been brought into requires a quality of relationship among US as we see that Christ as Lord.     This is the motif the badge, our belonging rally sign. Perhaps these are the signs we should be chasing the “as I have love you…love one another”.   A Movement of Relationship, a Relational Movement this is our banner, pressed into our lives, embossed upon us that all might see, our motif, the COMMUNITY OF WE who carry this as our sign, “sings following”…?

In my travels I discover that people don’t reality find friendship, let alone one that is of depth.  A friendship where we we can share our deep dreams, doubts, secrets, uncertainties, calls, longing, rather we to often discover people who will not share these them as they get concerned from experience that they might meet deep inner sacred life coming at them a little further down the street from others, who of course have only share them in prayerful concern, O yea, O no. But it is a higher life way we are called to, to empower, to be a sign and a wonder of.   Along with the chase for a signs, a healing or what ever can we become this sign and wonder, a COMMUNITY OF WE?

A community where feeling alone, does any one care becomes rare, where loneliness is not to be found – A Movement of Relationship.    Without this WE baptism, baptised into the one body, people will cultivated an ability to keep most people at a convenient distance.

‘Church-family’, became about conforming doing the right thing, being with the right people, events, music so that we could be a part, it really is just pandering to the orphan inside us all until it is remedied by sonship, it was all to ensure belonging. Rather than taking up the responsibility of WE, yet the Spirit cries in us FAMILY, BELONGING (Abba), we make the scripture “cry Abba father” about, help me Lord ‘Daddy’ ‘Papa’, rather than the Holy Spirit’s cry in us being in UNION, BELONGING to God and the body of Christ.   Is not the Spirit always to make known the Christ to point to the Son not the ‘I’.     So could we see this as a deep Spirit cry of ‘I am Fathered’ or at least this Aramaic term outlines Abba – ‘Father in your Fathering’, be it to us O God.

It seems we have journey from a relationship experience, this expression of the Church that is to be a community who make known, a people of covenant towards God first followed by towards each-other, a demonstration, an exact likeness of the Communion of Person of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to the place where the ‘church’ has become where I get information from, not community, we are friends if we agree on practice or theology and at its lowest form music style or the latest Christian practice or trend.  There is not much tolerance for diversity on these matters. Have w enow yet seen that advance along with adventure is found in our differences.     We have become accustomed to debates, divisions, new expression being started due to contention not the outflow of God, where is the tolerant community finding their advance in difference, Covenant being expressed as the Community “…fills the earth…”, “…goes forth and multiplies…”

When I ignore this ‘Communion of Persons’, the expression we are to be to our world, and display in our communities, it is to our peril. A peril that we could produce a church that is a ‘state-church’, a ‘professional church’ outfit.

You and I, the WE let us move to community making, becoming open to each other, loving enough to care, making the WE greater necessity that the ME and the ‘I’…becoming passionate to be the WE as PASSION MAKES REVOLUTION…

Family…Community…Church…Pilgrims…Body

As we consider the look God has put upon the people of God, the visual manifesto of the body of Christ today we can not ignore a number of powerful descriptions. We cannot put to one side the repeated attributes of the Community in the scriptures, the descriptions of disciples being together, the overwhelming eating and living together expressions, the corporate baptism of revelations of the Christ that occurred.  We cannot even ignore that the people of the book had such a grasp that they even saw that they only had a covenant with God in terms of their belonging to people, not as individuals with a Covenant but I only have a Covenant because I belong to a people.

These people, our brothers and sisters had a deep sense of understanding of the body in reality, a true community, a grasp of the body we are and a new found reality of the statement “this is my body”.   When they first uttered the words “THIS IS MY BODY”, in church context when Latin was used I was amused recently to discover “hocus pocus” had a community impact.  It’s been plausibly suggested that hocus-pocus is a corruption of the genuine Latin words “…hoc est enim corpus meum…” “for this is my body,” spoken during the consecration of the Roman Catholic Mass when the wine and wafer is the body and blood of Christ.

I believe and await a true Community to rise in earth that will be the a movement of mature fullness of the church, the community of God.

The True Community – What ‘we’ learn that ‘I’ will never know.

Our world is so formed and my perception takes root, that is ‘MY’ benefits, ‘MY’ rights have invaded the language and formed some of the ways, conduct and expressions of the family of God.   There is great truth in the fact that I am loved by Jesus, that he walks and talks with me, moving into MY destiny, my story, my entitlements this was aged start but not enough and I shod have moved form it.

The songs we sing will mould us and make impact on us. On some occasions even much more that the preaching of the word as we over and over repeat statements that become worked into our thinking and become part of us.   The Christian songs, and all songs I grew up with have had a profound affect on me, they helped to form my initial understanding of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus.  I thank God that most songs that have been around me and I must admit those in recent years that I have been willing to sing have been about Christ not me.

Today I feel with many a shout of enough, and although its a good start this solo-faith the faith of its about me, my ministry, my destiny, my stuff, but its not good enough.   My Welsh Valley upbringing had more effect in my perceptions than I realise, I have known positive impact along with negative. Positively the sense of community, street life, the watching over each other. In the light of my Welsh world view I discovered a US of the street, of the community. In the church I cannot ever recall being taught to consider the significant relationship between Jesus and US, its been Jesus and me.   I think my Valley up-bring put an US in me and therefore it was woven into me, it becomes my thinking without realising.

In terms of my church life I like many missed the biblical necessity of community: that Jesus intended to fuse people together in people, community, family dynamics where they could grow in godly character and generous living.   Where “…every joint supplies…the body gave increase of itself…”, an us, a corporate over arching view, realising it should be the eyes I listen though and the ears I see though…

I read a quote once that said “It is impossible for men to meet with God and love him without at the same time meeting with and loving one another.”  We are the PEOPLE of God and it is to become our dominating world view, a US, a PEOPLE of Covenant.

Can we once again consider the well quoted passage of Matthew 18:20 “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”, well quoted as it is often used to paint a picture of what many call ‘presence’.   Could you see it much more about the UNION that springs to life whenever people form a gathering where Christ is the supreme guest.

This community is found in two+plus who make a deliberate choice to see the Christ, make him central focus, not me central and my needs, also who accept one another. in very practical ways     To give to each other in this context is no accidental event, it is very intentional.       Its a challenge as it requires something from me to be an expression within the true communion the US, the UNION its my discipline, humility, selfless love, grace, my poured out servant, towel taking posture.      This expression requires I express covenant with each other, that I can stay in, that i became loyal to people and my confessions, it requires my flexibility in emotion, mind and love.    Then and only then do words become an expression “Love the Lord your God…love your neighbour as yourself”, ”Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I listened recently to commentary regarding the week in UK politics, this comment is with the back drop of the coming elections.   Running down the days to when a nation decides the shape of its government for the next 4 years.   The commentator announced that we had experienced a week in electioneering as a week of fear mongering, fear of what would take place if this political party or that party got their hands on the economy, fear in voting for another party and losing the Health Service, fear with this one and fear with that one, what ever party painting a fear on the voting faithful.   It seems they were all trying to win votes, in truth they were cultivating a fear and the nations worst fears to gain, negative really.   You may be one of the listeners and think you feel nothing but all these words are adding to our international concern regarding security, concerns on immigration, worry of radical attacks in our streets,  all we hear is really is cultivating the attitudes and dispositions of people – FEAR…

It was said that during the war years, WWII, with nations attacking Berlin bombing in the day time, bombing at night, a strategy which did not allow people to settle, to find any peace or a rhythm to life, a life of fear rather, fraying the nerves of the people, even the strong hearted person.   All to do with producing a certain emotion and fear in people, hoping to bring a nation to its knees.

Today we only have to look at nations events and hear nations heads declaring, after an fearful onslaught, “we will not bow”, “we will not give in”.

You and I of the household of God are those who have to withstand the fear moulding, for we are to be a blessed people in order to be a blessing not those living under a siege mentality, or are fearful, even down to the fear of becoming religious, a form of godliness with out life, a gospel that says much but delivers little.

We end up with a siege message if we take hold of fear, fear of being overtaken by secularism, fear of the church losing its ground, losing its position in the nation.

Many young men and women will admit that they are weary of the churches having the need to fight a losing battle against the secularization of culture.     Weary of sermons and magazine articles sounding a “clarion call” to faithfulness, or scolding readers about the dangers of various “slippery slopes.”

What has happened?

We have become part of a fear movement it seems it captures us, stints our confidence, undermines creativity if we are not careful rather than holing on to Gods’ promises and goal, which God will be fulfil completing the task ordained through a glorious church, a body that is commensurate to the head.

It has been reported that, “Half of young churchgoers said they perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical, and too political.

One-third said it was old-fashioned and out of touch with reality.”

What is happening here?    Announcing the problem as immaturity or even saying that they are a disloyal people group, (which I don’t agree with), of young people might be a natural response, Dietrich Bonhoeffer opened a letter that stated “It always seems to me…that we leave room for God only out of anxiety.”

Only out of anxiety?

Is commonplace fear really the main reason we cling to God?

If we’re honest with ourselves, it seems many people, even leadership just don’t gathering as the body of Christ, the church to be obedient, to empty oneself before the Father, to sing and make melody to the Lord of all the earth or to commune with his people.     We’re there for a spiritual pick-me-up to get us through the working week ahead, or to get us out of a ’hell’ of a week last week and for some we just have to be there.

Do you and I gather because we fear being without God in a world that’s leaving us behind?

The political commentators are announcing and we find fear looking at the economy and our own money, some fearful with the lack of available homes, possible failure in work, this list can be long.     We fear the changing of government, the fear of being invaded by laws, social concerns.     We fear persecution in society.    We fear the weather.     We fear being alone.      We fear losing the life to which we’ve grown accustomed.

I have noted that this that the younger generation can sense or perhaps ‘smell’ this fear as soon they step into a Sunday morning, especially if it’s coming from the preaching and teaching or songs etc.

We all are aware that a life lived in fear is far from the abundant, you and I have been introduced to a life, a promise of life and life more abundantly….?    If we are living in fear, we send a message that we don’t feel secure in the love of the all-powerful God.    If we panic at the demise of our life style, how would we stand in the midst of actual persecution?

Are we crippled by anxiety when finances change or for some giving declines, what if God calls us to voluntary poverty?

I know many that are in real challenge with family health, financial challenge, it is a real wonder as they go deeper into God holding on to their trust in God in these times and people do it rather than being overcome, let these individuals, families, couples inspire us.

People especially youth do notice when we show a lack of trust in God.

My oldest daughter inspired me recently in resigning a lucrative employment in education in the UK, stepping out to make a difference without secure support, just wanting to take the love of Jesus to people in Africa, to make a difference rather that let fear govern her financially or where and who she should live with.   I am sure we can all tell of some one that has let go and trusted God.

Peter of the scriptures speaks to the disciples of Jesus, “Do not fear what they fear!” and there was much around Peter’s day to cause fears that were  debilitating.

Paul challenges the fears around us: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  We are to join those down the ages and those who live in midst of lack or challenge and we must live declaring “God’s people must not give in to fear”.

Bonhoeffer’s letter, which I referred to earlier suggests a way of living  “I’d like to speak of God not at the boundaries but in the center, not in weakness but in strength, thus not in death and guilt but in human life and human goodness.”

God wants each of us in our place, in our condition, in our life to live life “to the full.”   A life of thankfulness to, and trust in, God which means leaving the outcomes with God.

Let the world around us the world of anxiety around us sense a quiet strength of trust not fear, when trust is around you and me we aren’t constantly calculating and worrying, they will ask the reason for the hope that’s within us.

This way of life will assist so we are aware of not only what we say, but how we say it.

Avoid using a fear of the future, unknown, people of different backgrounds or ideologies to bring about conformity

Prevent, stop right now making apocalyptic statements in our conversion, from our teaching forums when we speak about political, social, and economic problems as this does not point people toward Christ.

Tell, speak, preach, teach of Christ as God Incarnate and Christ as the Crucified One, about the God who will put an end to the darkness and brokenness of this world.

It is the love of Christ, which drives out fear.     “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Ps 56:3 NRSV).

No better way than to close my thoughts with Bonhoeffer words  “The Bible, the gospel, Christ, the church, the faith—all are one great battle cry against fear in the lives of human beings.”

Raise your battle cry and overcome the fear molding of our lives LIFE ABUNDANTLY…

Whats our Biblical view?

How do you look at the Bible?

Firstly is it as place to study, to enquire in order to find a place of insight that conforms with what you already believe?  We should not study to conform to what we already believe but to find out what the Bible actually teaches, what aspect of the nature of God is made known through the words contained.   We study and whether our findings cements or shatter our assumptions, we search to find out, this is Biblical maturity.

Secondly I am also influenced by what is happening around me, the moments, the places I live in, the settings I inhabit, biblical interpretation was this not always so?   The Holy Spirit has always worked through the culture, the very places we live out our lives, in the very environment of life, business and society.
The context where the church finds itself, what ever country, what ever culture, what ever time has always been taken on by the Father, Son and Spirit in order to bring the truth of Word to light.

For example was not the Reformation triggered in part by the cultural context of medieval Europe.   In the same way finally there came a time when the church eventually came to clarity on the wrong ways of slavery as moral offences and the economy it sustained, weighed more and more on peoples consciences, and the church rose with a voice, so history tells us, first in individuals then in a corporate stand until change came.

Like wise there is a rise today in the environmental concerns which is promoting a fresh look at Biblical instruction on creation, stewardship etc.   This is the Good News humanity restored, creation healed and Christ filling all with you and I in UNION with the Farther Son and Holy Spirit.   The Good News is not that we escape out of this world but we transform and bring the order of God to bear – the Kingdom of God.   Commencing in small ways, droplets as it were, until a sea IS formed from every little action and advance.

It has become common knowledge to all who followed the rise of cycling in the UK during and since the success of the last Olympics in London, this has been well documented that it was the cycling coaching staff who brought world champions out of the team, through small consistent adjustment, through very, very little actions and changes in every part of life, food, sleep, activity, etc., only to see many little adjustment brought about great gain…

Perhaps that is an encouragement to us all, rather than being overwhelmed by the huge necessary change to see the goal of God come to pass, we all give effort to small adjustment, insignificant adjustments, seeing that they all pull together to accumulate to major advance and change…?

Start a revolution, make movement happen little by little.