Community & submission
The spiritual discipline of community is not as warm and ‘kum-by-ah-ish” as it sounds. It’s about committing ourselves to people and sticking with them, no matter what. For real community to happen, we need to be intentional about giving up our Western tendency to worship individualism and independence. Community is deeply interwoven with the discipline of submission. To submit to others is to offer them community—even if you don’t like them, even they don’t deserve it, even if they’re wrong. Community can’t exist without vulnerability, the core of submission. When we submit to God, he cleans our hearts and opens us to be authentic with others. His Spirit enables us to be humble in our interactions.
Think about the community that Jesus chose to live in while he was on earth. It wasn’t about finding people who think alike. (Imagine the debates between Simon the political zealot and Matthew the tax-collecting puppet of the Roman Empire!) One of the best ways to learn to truly love is to walk along side of those who are different from us. Community calls us to submit by opening our doors to anyone who desires to come…even if they have nothing to offer us in return. It requires us to see everyone through the eyes of God and to value them like he does.
“In true community we are windows constantly offering each other new views on the mystery of god’s presence in our lives: a truth, a beauty, and a love which is greater, fuller, and richer than we ourselves can grasp.” --henri nouwen
Transformation Exercises
· Put your hand on a scar or a bruise or place on your body that was formerly injured. Thank God for the healing that has taken place. Thank God for the way this enables your whole body to move forward in life without delay or distraction. Then pray for your church and its injuries and distractions.
· When you come to church, notice the people around you and what they do. After noticing each person, pause and say a prayer of thanks that this person loves God and cares enough to do what they’re doing. Thank God that you are together with these people.
· Speak some encouragement to someone this week. Pray for that person.
· Talk to someone about forming an intentional friendship where you meet weekly. Research and consider the model of the Friends (Quakers) Spiritual Friendship.
· Read 1 Cor. 12:20-27.
· What does it mean to consider weak folks indispensable, to honor the less honorable and to treat unpresentable folks with special modesty?
· How is it an act of submission to suffer with others and rejoice with those who are honored?
· Community comes about as people act as iron sharpening iron in an atmosphere of love and submission (Proverbs 27:17). How can we “sharpen” each other?
· What attitudes of love are important to express if community is to flourish when we discuss differences with each other (1 Cor. 13:4-7)
· What steps do you need to take to be more resilient when community gets gritty?
o Have a more realistic view of community?
o Understand that you have value to others even though you don’t feel like you’re very useful?
o Value those with spiritual gifts different from yours?
o Suffer with those who suffer and rejoice with those who are honored?
o Show more love?
o Other: ___________________________________________________
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