In the Common Unity...

What does it truly mean to live in biblical community? As I think about the book of Acts, I don't think about it as the "model" church. Certainly, there were characteristics that were very Christ like but there were things in the body of believers throughout Acts that were sinful and handled as such. Today we use these particlular circumstances in our church discipline which is healthy and biblical.

But I often wonder what it means to live in biblical community together. Greg Smith said that "Biblical Community is unity around being a follower of Jesus Christ!" So this definition begs the question..."What is UNITY?" We understand what it means to gather around being followers of Christ because we are inundated with this phrase but what does it mean to live in Unity? I believe that unity to outsiders may actually look a bit like disunity. How can I say that? I believe that true biblical Unity requires us to be completely honest with each other and if we are completely honest with each other, things get quite messy! If I tell you that I am struggling with a deep sin and wound that is haunting me, I will often get judged in fake community, but in biblical community I will be held accountable for the issue that I am dealing with. If I don't change my ways and move more towards Christlikeness, my brothers and sisters in Christ will be forced to act in discipline. Discipline is an act of love and kindness and is required sometimes to bring people back to the body of Christ in a truly reconciliatory way. There is authenticity in true community. People are drawn to authenticity because they are so engaged in a world and a culture that is fake all the time! We are drawn to commercials, advertising, and movies that are surreal and don't reflect reality in a cohesive way. People want relationships where they can be in true and authentic conversations that are meaningful!

God, Am I willing to be a part of the biblical community that you call us to be in? Am I willing to be like Jesus and sit among the mess and the junk and address it head on? God, don't let me be like the pharisees that judged others in their inauthenticity. You desire reality and truth, and help me to desire the same.

The life of a blade of Grass...

I have always thought that grass was an interesting plant. In America, we use this plant to make our yards look nice. We use it to cover the mud, the dirt, the nastiness of our front yards so that our dogs can go to the bathroom without getting their feet sopped in a muddy mess. We use grass to create an illusion of carpet on our yards. But grass really doesn't grow for that purpose. Trees grow for a purpose. They grow to produce more trees. So does grass. The truth is, we limit the purpose of grass by topping off the heads when it gets to long. The purpose of grass is to grow tall, create seeds, drop seeds and then grow more plants. We have created a space for grass to grow but not necessarily live within it's purpose. We have created some new purpose for it.

I wonder how many times we create a new purpose for the body of Christ? How many times is the body of Christ like the grass where we are supposed to just look nice and cover the nastiness that we are rooted in? Our purpose is to GO and make disciples of all nations and yet for some reason, we decide that this isn't our purpose and we become a domesticated, mowed body of Christ instead of a wild, producing crop that multiplies over and over again! Our passions and desires are not lined up with the gospel or with Christ and so we tend to make our own "spiritual" purposes up instead of following who God has made us to be...

While I am not going to stop cutting my grass, I wonder how many of us need to grow and grow and grow so that we can produce and be passionate about the unplanted soul. How many of us are sprouting seeds instead of getting clipped to look nice?

Isaiah: God is My Salvation!

Isaiah means "God is my Salvation." One of the stories that Isaiah writes is his call to ministry. If the body of Christ looked at this passage, I believe it would renovate the way that we think about the ministry that we engage in. Sometimes, we believe that we have to have life all together to do ministry, to serve God. And yet, Isaiah comes before a creator, infinite, almighty amazing God and says, "I am a man of unclean lips." He admits his shortcomings...He admits his cultures' shortcomings. He then acknowleges who God his. God responds by taking him through what had to be a fairly painful process, but a beautiful process of sanctification. He has a Seraph touch Isaiah's lips. "Your guilt is atoned for!" The sin is taken. Often, we say that sin is taken at the point of salvation, whcih is very true. But there is often a process that we walk through after this point that is painful and requires that we are authentic with ourselves in who we are and who Christ is. It is immediately after God forgives Isaiah that Isaiah is ready for ministry. He is ready and willing. He answers God's call by saying, "Here I am! Send Me!"

Oh God, that I would say this...That I would cry out in utter dependance for you and that you would take me through a cleansing and sanctifying process...Let me be a heart follower of you and be in relationship with you.

Isaiah: God is my salvation- Utter dependence on who God is and what he will do through his people!

5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.