Open Theism Discussion Board

Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > General Chat > Community

Forum Quick Jump

[ << Previous Thread | Next Thread >> | Show Newest Post First ]

following
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2003
Total Posts : 24

Posted 2/17/2003 3:48 AM (GMT -6)

So I'm trying to figure out exactly what community should be like in my life. And I'm struggling. One of my friends thinks that we should all move into together and share everything. I've lived in community before, once successfully and once not so successfully. Individually we were not in the right place with god and it showed itself in every aspect of our living together. But I wonder maybe if people have this shared vision of community then you grow together in the lord? I don't know. Or is community being really active in your church? Or is it with your neighborhood, your family? I live by myself right now. Is that the complete opposite of what god is calling us to do as a christians? Am I acting selfishly by wanting to live by myself and have my "own space". If god calls me to live in the inner city, but I have a good friend who needs someone to rent from him in the suburbs, should I move to help him out? Even though my whole life and what i feel like god is calling me to is in the city? AAAH.....
somebody talk to me...

GregBoyd
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 1818

Posted 2/17/2003 4:45 AM (GMT -6)

Great questions "following." But I don't think you can answer them definitively by appealing to ethical and/or theological principles. Yes, there are principles that should govern our life (as, for example, the principle that we benefit by belonging to community and a community benefits by our belonging to it). But how they apply in any particular instances, in answer to any specific questions, can only be directed by God.

So, in answer to all your questions, my response would be
* you're asking all the right questions that
* only you can answer
* by seeking God's will and searching your heart.

Blessings

Greg

"In Christ...the ONLY THING that matters is faith energized by love." Galatians 5:6

trosie
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 550

Posted 2/17/2003 5:40 AM (GMT -6)

Doc

quote:
So, in answer to all your questions, my response would be
* you're asking all the right questions that
* only you can answer
* by seeking God's will and searching your heart.

I am glad you posted that, Doc. If there were ONE way to do and live in community (like if we were all called to sell all and live together) then who would be left to live in the neighborhoods where the nonbelievers reside. If we were all called to sell our homes and move into the city then there would be not Christians left for the suburban and urban folks.

Following, I totally agree with Doc in that we each need to seek God's will for our own lives. If we are living and walking in our calling then we will be living out community the way God created us (specifically) to live it out. Whether to live with a friend in the suburbs or moving to the city can be best decided after time spent seeking God's heart for YOU. Sometimes we just have to go with what we "think and feel" are the best decision and sometimes God will "hit us over the head" and we'll know that we know.

Blessings,
trosie

following
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2003
Total Posts : 24

Posted 2/17/2003 5:48 AM (GMT -6)

1 Th. 2:8 "we loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear"

At what point as christians do we let god take our heart to a place where we care so much for someone or something that we give our life to it? what is the sharing of life that paul is talking about? Are we intentional in seeking god to find out how he wants us to share our lives. because man it can't be just about words. (1 John 3:18, dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth) And when we hear from god, are we obedient to the point of death? Do we want to stay on this side of the jordan river, even though across from it is an abundant life and promise land that god has given us? what is it that hold us back from living in the john 10:10 life god has for us? are we willing to ask those questions? and what do we do when god answers?

Edited by - following on 02/17/2003 10:49:06 AM

markus
Registered Member

Date Joined Jun 2002
Total Posts : 100

Posted 2/20/2003 4:41 AM (GMT -6)

I feel this is a question that probably every Christian often asks of themselves, and probably all the more so as their faith deepens. But maybe, gradually, it graduates from being a "question" of what community is into an "awareness" of what community is.

As we grow in faith, so we grow in God's love for others, and so we yearn more and more to do more and more for more and more. But the end result is often that the more we look for opportunities to help others in our community, the more we see there is to be done, and we end up in a terrible state of not knowing where to start and what to do next, and we start to feel helplessly ineffective. Our vision of our local community suddenly seems to expand from one street to an area, town, country, continent, globe, and soon we are totally out of control - I suppose we could call it a Christian burn-out.

But it is at this point that we maybe need to remember that we are all already one community wherever we live and with whomever we share our time. We can totally rely on the one Grand Architect to guide and point the way at every stage of our lives - remembering that we are not measured by our output, but by our faith. It is maybe more relevant to practice the art of asking and listening to God than the art of trying to do as much as possible by oneself. I am sure that God's plans are much more long term than the kind of timescales we work with, and if He seems very quiet sometimes, then we should not be concerned about that, but take the opportunity for study, etc.

I used to be very concerned about "how much is enough" and "who's need is really greatest" in terms of helping others and participating in community, but I have since accepted that I can never arrive at a conclusion simply because there is nothing I can fully achieve alone anyway. I always have to accept that I can only make a contribution to any situation, in which case I can never decide how big my contribution needs to be. Now I have learnt to leave it all to God and ask Him everything - some things He sends my way, other things I ask and He agrees to, and other things He declines (sometimes very surprisingly from my poor vantage point, but maybe they are part of His plans for someone else - who knows!).

It is also interesting to note that the early disciples sold everything, pooled the proceeds and lived as a community, but that soon disappeared as a practical system once their community grew too big. But we should remember that although the absolute pooling ended, the principal never died. We need to think that everything belongs to God's pool, and He divides and provides opportunity. All we need to do is remember that what we have belongs to God and ask Him what He would like us to do with it. It is impractical to first pool everything and then divide (expect in the case of charities, government aid programs, etc) but that should not stop the flow from the surplus to the needy - whether we are talking of money, mental or physical work, or the fruits of love through consideration for others, respect and compassion.

I don't know if this helps at all, but it is at least one way of remaining at peace with this issue in the belief that one is doing in the community as God wills us to do....

Markus

Edited by - markus on 02/20/2003 09:49:04 AM

Forum Information

Currently it is Monday, November 09, 2026 6:50 PM (GMT -6)
There are a total of 97,718 posts in 6,040 threads.
In the last 3 days there were 0 new threads and 0 reply posts. View Active Threads

Need Support? | Forum Help Manual