With a few people out and about holidaying, there were only nineteen (n-n-n-nineteen) of us for community meal this Sunday. Here's Emma explaining what she's cooked up...
Before we broke bread and shared some wine together, I passed around some print-outs of the 'community summary' that David, Dan, Helen and I have been working on since our week of prayer together, waaaay back in February.
We've probably taken a bit longer to do this than we needed to, but getting it right is important. Hopefully this will become a touch-stone, a marker, something like a manifesto... describing something of what we believe we are together, and more importantly, what we want to be, by God's grace.
At the moment, we're planning to gather together mid-September - everyone who considers themselves part of our community life together, everyone who wants to opt-into the centre of who we are together - to affirm and receive these short paragraphs... kind of a 'signing-up' ceremony. I'm sure we'll come up with a fun way of marking the moment.
For now though, here's our community summary... here's who we believe we are, and who we believe we've come together to become;
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“Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it - because it does. Give yourself to the gifts God gives you.” 1 Corinthians 14v1 (The Message version)
We are a community, a group of friends and families who love and follow Jesus. We recognise and accept that God is graciously giving our community particular gifts to use and freely give away;
Creativity. We are a creative community, where all kinds of artistic forms are valued and encouraged as expressions of Creator God, and of our life of devotion to God.
Prayer. We are a prayerful community, practising regular rhythms of prayer, individually and with one another... encouraging all kinds of prayer on all kinds of occasions.
Justice. We are a just and merciful community, believing in the dignity of all human beings made in the image of God, and active in challenging injustice in many forms... a community who “remember the poor”.
Hospitality. We are a hospitable community, a community of refuge and reconciliation, where we express (and receive) the welcome of God across all divides and boundaries.
We want to honour God with, and encourage one another in, these gifts. We are endeavouring to do this continually by asking ourselves this question:
"How then shall we live?”
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Obviously, the next phase - where we wrestle with the "How then shall we live?" question - is the really fun bit! Come and join with us if you like... :)
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