Check out this post , quoting from Henri Nouwen, at inward/outward People who have come to know the joy of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose not to live in it. They claim that the light that shines in the darkness can be trusted more than the darkness itself and that a little bit of light can Continue Reading
JKA Smith in Radical Orthodoxy and The Reformed Tradition: Give the shape of this overlapping consensus bvetween Radical orthodoxy and the Reformed tradition, the pump was primed for a dialogue and engagement. These overlapping emphases did not, however, preclude areas of disagreement or contention. Indeed, precisely because of deep affinities, differences between the two traditions or movements seemed to crystallize. Continue Reading
What an outstanding post from David Hilfiker at the inward/outward blog I just mentioned in my previous post. Below is a small portion, but read the entire post, and follow the comments as they come. Does Charity Choke Justice? at inward/outward But soup kitchens and food pantries are now our standard response to hunger; cities see shelters as adequate Continue Reading
APPENDIX 3 S0ME RESOURCES Reading together about spiritual and cultural subjects will enrich a group seeking to be in authentic community. Following are some of the resources we have found helpful in our own explorations. BEING CHURCH The Dream of God by Verna Dozier The ‘Givens’ of an Authentic Church, sermon by Gordon Cosby Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer A Continue Reading
APPENDIX 2 THE CHURCH OF THE SAVIOUR MEMBERSHIP COMMITMENT The following statement of commitment has been used for many years in The Church of the Savior churches. It is a standard that we still strive to embrace and practice in community. I come today to join a local expression of the church, which is the body of those on whom Continue Reading
APPENDIX I- THE CHALLENGE AND THE HOPE Some of the groups use the following as a litany to open each meeting. THE CHALLENGE Our lives are filled with so many challenges, struggles and hurts. They make it hard to be the free people God longs for us to be. What makes it even harder is that we are isolated we Continue Reading
WHAT WE CAN’T DO ALONE, WE CAN DO TOGETHER If you care about the church and long for something more … if you want to be a part of God’s restorative movement where you live … If you want to stay in touch so that we can learn together … > Indicate your interest by returning the information below. We Continue Reading
If you sense that you are called to this way of being with others, please know this: you are not alone. And the way is not without complication. Seeking to build a Christ centered group, with diversity, reconciliation and justice at its core, is one of the most difficult and counter-cultural things any of us will ever do. Knowing this Continue Reading
We must be in community. In small cells of belonging, we are challenged to know and be known intimately. We are not able to hide out any longer, pretending to be other than who we are. As we learn to receive and give God’s love in practical, life changing ways, we begin to embody that love on behalf of the Continue Reading
To be the church means we are living the unfolding story of God in the world. We open ourselves to God’s continuing newness, to unexpected twists and turns of the plot, to all the drama and comedy and suspense that God wants to write. Our small story is part of a much larger story, the ongoing story of God’s little Continue Reading
The authentic church takes seriously that we are called to be committed servant leaders in the world and will provide an “alternative seminary” for the training of such leaders. Utilizing a serious, in depth, “whole life curriculum,” we will stretch our minds and our souls as we read, respond to, research and put into practice both classic and new theological, Continue Reading
Money certainly is not the only practice of discipleship that will challenge us to grow as a community. There are unimaginable depths to be explored, and the authentic church will encourage continual growth and learning. As we go deeper into a serious journey with Christ, and as we seek to be healed from our addictions and be reconciled to one Continue Reading
One of the primary questions in most efforts to be church is what to do about money. We consider Alcoholics Anonymous, which decided against owning property or keeping a corporate treasury and instead let each local group be self supporting. We think of how churches often receive an offering and ask members to tithe or pledge to support the church’s Continue Reading
Each group differs regarding the use of various aspects of worship. We pray together. We use scripture and a thematic teaching to guide our sharing. Two of the groups celebrate Eucharist and one uses mu sic. We are trying to recapture the essence of the New Testament church, if not its particular forms. We find much to inspire us in Continue Reading
Simply by being with others in this kind of group, with people who are different from each other yet are committed to knowing each other intimately and healing the differences between us, we become a countercultural presence in the world. And yet there is more. We also seek to apply concretely the principles of Jesus on a broader scale, becoming Continue Reading