The Community
November 16, 2008
A couple of Sundays ago I spoke the word to a few people in Hamilton, Kansas. I spoke about the healing of the paralytic by Jesus in Mark 2:1-12. I have probably spoken on this passage 25 times or more. It never gets old for me. Every time I speak this word, it seems as if the one whose experience this was in the first place honors my love of it with deeper understanding. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. False. Not necessarily. Familiarity with an open heart and mind is never contemptible.
This time around (probably my 26th time) I saw three distinct communities in this text. First there is the community of faith (first identified as “They” and then as “four of them”) which is responsible for bringing the paralytic to Jesus (when Jesus saw their faith–verse 5). Pieces of their imaginations collided into one holy action, they dismantle part of a roof, they struggle together, they have compassion together, they are concerned for the welfare of the paralyzed among them together, and each of them was responsible for a corner of the stretcher. Mission accomplished.
This enacted repentance and expression of confidence in the power of God are two motivators of this community. Following their example the community of faith continued to develop in repentance and trust throughout the ages until our very day. It is the kind of community missional order seeks to be. Community is held together by its rhythm of life, by shared experiences, by intimate self-revelation, by formative activities, by being missional.
Our common commitments of praying together, of being transformed together, of being on mission with God together, like the common commitment of the community of faith in Mark 2: 1-12 is one that is built on compassion for others. Praying with others the same text, the same liturgy, the same prayers, sharing the same intentions of being Christ-like in our God-life, will enable us to create a community of faith. Our hope is that this community of faith will find local expressions of the the common commitment we have made, and multiply ad infinitum.
When I pray the closing blessing in CDP’s morning prayer I imagine the many of us who are heading into the world of work or school or vacation, or wherever. Perhaps some are heading into a storm without knowing it. Perhaps there is a wilderness experience custom-made by the Holy Spirit (in imitation of Christ’s custom wilderness journey). What a gift we can give each other when we say those words:
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
Lord, hear us and answer our prayers in your mercy.
By the way, the other two communities are the communities of disbelief (2:6), the ones that began to question in their hearts and the community of celbration, the ones that glorify God for what Jesus did (2:12-13.
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3 Comments to “The Community”
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I love “four of them” as a word picture of the church. They are an alternative community marked by faith in Jesus, love for one another, enacting a powerful hope for their friend. My heart hungers to be part of such a community.
Jamie,
May God give you the desire of your heart. And may God grant all community seekers the desire of their heart.
Thank you for this post. The image drawn of the “community of faith” is beautiful and sparks my imagination. I have reentered located ministry in a small town in MO. The Lord has blessed me with a small traditional congregation who are in many ways missional without knowing it. I have the blessing of learning from them and , with the Lord’s help, fanning the missional embers into flame.