Thank you for clarifying. I missed the forest for the trees. !

The point of this article is to stick together in spite of differences and disagreements. In other words, and in answer to your “1st Response”, we should all be doing exactly what you said you are doing in your “2nd Response”.

There is a tendency to leave a group when disagreements or relational friction starts. However, if we work through this relational friction (or perhaps “love through”) we will find deeper community developing. What I had in mind is exactly what you described in your “2nd Response”.

Like you said, it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable.

-Alan

I was sent this article by Bro. Lionel and I had the following two responses which he said I should send to you. Respond at your leisure:

1st Response:

“Perhaps I missed the point but is this saying that unless we aren’t getting along and not agreeing then we don’t have community. Must we constantly be disagreeing and “rubbing each other the wrong way” in order to have authentic community? That doesn’t sound right to me. That’s my initial reaction.”

2nd Response:

“We’ve had some “doctrinal” disagreement but it’s never gotten disagreeable. I’ve had to encourage others to share their views even if they were different from mine because we all come from a background where that was a big no-no. But nobody has left feeling as though they weren’t heard or that their views were not respected. The article seems to suggest that the only true community is where the Hatfields and McCoys reside. I guess I just didn’t get it.”

I also pray that God keeps teaching me these truths.

David,

Thank you especially for your last two paragraphs. They are excellent additions to this post! Those living in community by the power of the Spirit must be willing to accept those who are not.

C Grace,

Thank you for your comment also. It is another excellent addition to this post! You are absolutely right that the Spirit inverts everything.

“He explained that, in the world, the powerful are as it were on top of the pyramid, controlling and oppressing the many social strata of people beneath them. In Christ, however, this pyramid was inverted, so that all the weight of humanity’s oppression fell upon His shoulders. The saints, Father Zacharias pointed out, willingly “go down” to identify with Christ and bear the burden of the world’s sorrow. They undertake to suffer with Him the pain of humanity’s alienation from God and subjection to sin.”

The heart of a Spirit filled community is a forgiveness that is willing to take on oneself the burden of the sins of others without trying to shift the pain caused by that sin back where it came from. We can bear this burden when it rests, not on us but on Christ in us.

(this is a very rough sketch)

John – the disciple that Jesus loved

Peter, James and John – inner circle, viewed transfiguration

12 Apostles – broader inner circle, heard deepest teachings, explanation of parables

Disciples – outer circle, heard parables, followed

The crowds – gathered, some became disciples, some did not

In a healthy church, there will probably be many “communities”. The test is upon those who are genuinely part of the “community” to hang in there during the relational friction with those who aren’t.

The tendency that I have seen is that those who think they “get it” to insulate themselves from those who don’t. The call of the gospel is for those who “get it” to remain faithfully connected in love to those who may just sort of “get it”. Those who say they “get it” and then withdraw to their own community don’t get it.

So true. Thanks for the comment.

Bill,

My pleasure.

-Alan

bill from provocative church