I------------------TIME-------------->
I-----old--------------Y
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I am seeking to clarify the concept of Christian community. A diagram, like above, can be used to illustrate the interplay of the two time frames of Apostle Paul's thought world. Time is moving from "the beginning" (I) from left to right. The arrow pointing right (-->) signifies an infinite eternity. In the beginning, with the fall of man, the old age dominated, and still seems to dominate. With the coming of Christ (X), the new age of God's kingdom has dawned, though not yet completely realized. When Christ comes again (Y), the old age will be finally destroyed. We are currently living amidst two realities.
When I speak of community, I am visioning the people who are aligned with God's kingdom- living in accordance with reality as revealed and promised in Christ. Early Christians, I am thinking of passages like Acts 4:32-37, seemed to grasp that following Christ involved a radical and concrete change in orientation to all aspects of life.
In our present-day thinking the lines between the God's kingdom and the world are blurred.
References:
Mere Discipleship by Lee C. Camp
Walking Between the Times by J. Paul Sampley
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Community?
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8 comments:
At first the diagram confused me, but it makes perfect sense. I see the small area where our two realities are overlapped. Maybe I'm weird, but sometimes I can sense the two realities in the struggle between my flesh and my spirit.
In some ways we are living in a unique age. The last 2000+ years are unlike any other time frame because of this dichotomy of existential realities. I have rarely heard any such teaching - but I believe it's possible to infer such a concept from Pauls statements about not doing what he wants to do, the continuing warnings in Romans and Hebrews to cast off sin (books written to Christians), and his statement about the internal conflict between the spririt and flesh- both wanting what is contrary to the other.
I do indeed believe that early Christians "seemed to grasp that following Christ involved a radical and concrete change in orientation to all aspects of life."
When reading the New Testament, the preceding statement seems obvious. Which makes me wonder about the statement Jesus made as to whether or not he would find faith on the earth when he returned
Yes, the diagram is crude. What I am hoping to emphasize is the notion that both aeons (or ages) have ends and means relative to them. This is a key concept in Lee Camp's book in which he attempts to call Christians to discipleship.
What tends to happen with us Christians is the mixing up of kingdom and worldly ends and means. Sometimes we are simply striving for an end that is not of Christ but of the world. That might be us striving to achieve a good retirement with comfort and peace of mind. We tend to not question whether the American Dream coincides with the call of Christ. This is an example of poorly defined ends.
The other mistake involves striving for Godly ends but doing so by worldly means. I believe this is the mistake of "Christian Right" political efforts. The end might be to lower abortion or homosexuality by means of governmental legislation pushed by an organized voting block. Again, just one example to illustrate the concept.
Landon Saunders speaks to idea of worldly means toward Godly ends when he says, "Leaders have always been tempted to do with power and control what they could not do with the power of their transformed lives."
The concept of power is critical, if you are seeking to make sense of this. We must always be self-critical of the power dynamics at work in our individual lives as well as in our congregational life.
So, in Christ, we are seeking kingdom ends by kingdom means. This is still as radical a concept as it was in the first century.
We are back to community/family- congregations living out the kingdom of God. Our lives may not intitially look incredibly different but the subtle differences of a life truly focused on living kingdom now, in anticipation of its fullest realization when Christ comes again, will prove to be monumental over time.
The idea that the Christian life involves a jumping through of a few doctrinal hoops, then hunkering down, trying to be good while the awful world goes by, hoping to make it "faithfully" to our death or Christ comes again, whichever come first, is horribly shallow.
That last paragraph you wrote above may sum up a lot of what I've witnessed in my own life. Makes for joyless living, and masks the fact that we've been given something (in the words of your dad Sunday night) that seems to good to be true something we don't completely grasp. Unbelief abounds and its evident. Are we forgiven and freed so we can get back to the business of living our lives however we want with the addition of a few restraints? I used to think so and indeed fight the urge to get back in that line of thought. I went to church in Dayton this past Sunday morning, and the sermon was about what it means to be taken care of by God and what it means to be a Christian. Ironically, the sermon tied into our discussions on here.
"What exactly is our trust in?"
Our American health & wealth gospel version doesn't apply. Being taken care of by God doesn't mean that my home is off limits, or that my things will never be sold to pay bills, or that I will always have a job that provides me with a comfortable lifestyle, or that I will always walk around in freedom doing as I please. We have been taught that God wants us to have nice stuff, to be as prosperous financially as possible, and to do pretty much whatever we want within reason. Like you said, we do not consider whether the "American Dream" actually coincides with the call of Christ. And now knowing this, and considering what Ive been given through Christ - unbelief remains (or else sense of sorrow that life really isn't all about what I want) Otherwise, I'd be totally out of my mind in joy. It is so hard to get self into a subordinate role - or in the words of the preacher Sunday - "to get out of our own way."
I do wander why it seems that radically transformed lives are no more common given the relative prosperity of Christianity in our nation. But then I have to examine myself - I know I should read the word more, make time to get out of my comfort zone, spend more time in prayer...but...I tend to do more of what the flesh wants - not blatant sin, but a preoccupation with what I feel like doing. So I wander if that is not where a lot of us are (not that everyone else has my same faults and hangups)
Do you think that the increased attention, interest, and efforts with self over the last 25-30 years have infiltrated the Church, and possibly exacerbated our view of faith?
I meant, "exacerbated our sometimes faulty view of the Faith."
Yes, I do. But, I'm not sure that this is a uniquely modern phenomenon. I think the fundamental issues with which we are wrestling have been present in one form or another with Christians since the beginning.
I believe we are so tempted, even ushered by the principalities and powers of the world, to give way to preoccupation. This preoccupation of our lives prevents us from realizing and living out our fullest potential in Christ. [Remember Frank Viola's concept - Constantinian cataract - in Pagan Christianity?] We fail to grasp that Christ's birth, life, and death, commenced the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God into this fallen world. Also, that this Kingdom is alive and well. And, we have full opportunity to embrace it with everything within us.
From this frame of reference (at least in my mind), familiar passages and Christian teachings take on a new, deeper significance. This is no radically new view of Christianity or Scripture, but rather an attempt to restore Christianity to its true root -- Jesus' initially proclamation, "The kingdom is at hand."
Please excuse the many typo's above (and the ones that will probably follow below).
One more thing...
Landon Saunders frequently tells the story of a lion cub that was raised by goats. He decribes the cubs struggle to eat grass and bleat. The cub struggles to settle into the goat way of life. [Does that not feel familiar?]
Finally, an old lion takes the cub down to the river and shows him his reflection in the water.
Landon uses this story to suggest that we, Christians are lions who have capitulated to a goat way of life. Much of our "out-of-sync'ness" could be understood in light of this story. We need to see our reflection in Christ, see our citizenship, source of significance, purpose for living, etc, etc, in the kingdom of God. We can literally see ourselves as striving for the same culmination of all history as were the "Heros of faith" in Hebrews 11. Hence, that is the point of the Hebrew writer. If you read Hebrews like a letter, you can see the writer making points and building momentum until he is nearly cheering by chapter 11. Then 12-- let us throw off the sins that so easily entangle-- He is saying cast off the ends and means of this world for a far greater reality is yours to behold.
Finally, this is not something we experience best as individual (hiding these thoughts away for private meditation), but rather, this is best realized in community. This is what church should mean to us.
The community described in Acts was indeed bound with a bond that was stronger than the ways/means of the world. In fact the bond was stronger than physical family. And it should be because 1. it was eternal, and 2. Jesus himself made clear that following him could divide families. (not that the division of physical families is a goal of any sort) I personally do not have that type of bond with the church and this should not be. I really don't think many of us have that type of bond to the church - and of course there are numerous variables that contribute to that. I do not mean to sound overly negative, it's just that I've rarely witnessed or been part of such a community. And the times when I was, it was a source of great frustration when it ended - because the fellowship, support, and worship were shelved in the interest of returning to our real-life responsibilities. Once again, not to sound overly negative...but it was a sort of embittering experience. I think once you've tasted even the smallest tidbit of such fellowship, it's harder to return to business as usual. Maybe I'm unique in this, but I don't think so. Could you imagine the impact/response on the community if one group became known as such a place of renewal? It was no wonder the authorities feared the early church, and that people sold all they had and dropped the money at the apostles feet - not only had they found salvation, their deepest needs were met in the here and now! It was the total package. Christ met needs spiritually, but also emotionally and physically through his "body" aka the Church. What a community!
Right on!
2 questions prevail in my mind...
First, is it reasonable to assume that Sunshine can rise to a greater level of communal commitment and shared sense of identity so that we can truly be the church like described in Acts?
I have to believe it is possible or else accept that the plans of the Lord can be thwarted.
Hence, second question - What do I (we) do to bring it to fruition?
BTW- you are invited to join a small group that meets Sunday mornings 7:30 - 8:30 am to pray for the upcoming service and ongoing development of our congregation.
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