Community and Culture

In an article called Will Loss of Religious Liberty Doom Evangelicalism? George Yancy has some interesting comments.

Evangelicals have gotten used to being the most powerful religious group in our society. That is not going to be the case for the foreseeable future, if ever again...

So beyond politics, it is also important that we think about protecting ourselves by building up our community. If there are fewer of us, but those of us who are left are more committed, then we can make demands on each other that will strengthen our larger community. Groups that do not have majority group power do well to have a strong notion of community so that their subculture can thrive.

What are some of the implications of building up our vision of being a Christian community inside a larger secular society? We can develop a powerful in-group loyalty that allows us to help each other. We can develop supportive economic structures that serve our subculture. We can focus on socializing our children to be ready for the struggles of a post-Christian world. These are only some of the important ways having a community mindset can provide us with the social means to persist in a society that wants to remove us from the public square.

It can be as a community that we can renew a focus on reaching out to the marginalized. A powerful group tends to ignore those who struggle in our society. In a society where we no longer have majority group power, we can humbly use our in-group loyalty to work together so that we can better minister to those society left behind. Such efforts not only enlarge our community by bringing some of the marginalized into our community but also provides a powerful witness of love for the least of these.

Ultimately, it is going to be these acts of love and a true demonstration of the values we say we hold to help us deal with the threat to our religious liberty. Since the threat comes from a change of cultural values, we can begin to neutralize it by impacting the culture. And the best way to impact the culture is to have a Christian community where we are encouraged to live with integrity, transparency and to love those around us. Building the right type of Christian community is vital for what we need today.

Radical Community

I found this note that I wrote on a scrap of paper, maybe twenty-five years ago.

We need a community which will be:

• A challenge, and a visible concrete alternative to the world.
• A place where Christians can develop a distinctive and biblical lifestyle, which will answer some of the hungers of the modern age. Where the radical demands of the gospel may be lived out in a simple life style, uncluttered by the things of the world, and centred on the kingdom of God.
• A place of shelter that will enable Christians to stand firm in a time of social upheaval.
• A place where Christians can learn to love each other. This love will be expressed in mutual support, economic sharing , regular prayer and common worship.
• A place where Christians can grow to maturity developing in the ministry to which God has called them. It would provide an environment which is congenial to growth.
• A model, which can demonstrate publically, of a church structure which is more appropriate to the times in which we live, and is more closely aligned to the commands of scripture.
• A base for evangelism and are community that can draw new converts in. It should forth the reality of Christi reconciling power.

Prophetic Communities

The best antidote for the heroic is a prophetic community. The full revelation of God will only be received by a group of people seeking him together. The Holy Spirit likes to give different parts of the revelation to different people. The full picture can often only be obtained by pooling all the information received.

God is wanting to raise up prophetic communities. Individual prophets are not capable of hearing Gods word for our complex world (Tom Marshall- The Coming of the Prophets).

More at Prophets and the Church.

Transforming Society (4) - Alf Richard and Ernie

A group of Christians living in the same location can form the body of Christ there, and transform their local community. They can be a community where the Kingdom God is manifested. Here is how it could happen.

Alf, Richard and Ernie were friends. They had served together in a church for some time. They had been praying about starting a new Church and were seeking guidance about where they should go. The Holy Spirit led them to A Street, as shown in the diagram. Each square represents a dwelling. A Street could be the main street in a rural village, or a street in any city. People who live in city of apartments will need to imagine these squares stacked on top of each other in groups of four.

Alf found a house to rent in A Street (A) and Ernie and Richard bought houses nearby (R, E). The person living next door to Alf was called Phil (P). He was a networker, one of those people who knew everyone living in his street. In the New Testament, he is called a Man of Influence or Person of Peace.

The major blight on Phil’s life was that his daughter was crippled from birth. Everyone knew her and felt sad as she struggled down the street to catch the bus. One day when Ernie and Richard were over at Phil’s place, they got talking to Phil. One thing led to another and before the end of the day, they had prayed for Phil’s daughter and she was healed. This had a huge impact in the street. Phil gave his heart to the Lord and became a hard-out Christian. He told his friends what had happened, and with a few weeks, the people in the blue houses and all decided to follow Jesus. Alf discipled these new Christians, so they grew quickly.

Kingdom of God (7) - Christian Community

During the Time of Distress, Christians will have been forced together in small groups in order to survive. A group of Christians who trust each other will have bought or rented houses close to each, so they can support each other through the Time of Distress. They will get serious about Jesus new commandment.

Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34).

These Christians will become community that transforms their neighbourhood. When the structures of society begin to fall apart, they will work out alternative ways of sustaining life in their neighbourhood.

• Everything they own and earn will be shared.

• Anyone in the neighbourhood who is suffering will be sorted.

• They will pray for those who are sick or oppressed by evil.

• Wise Christians will settle disputes between people in an amicable way.

• Anyone who steals will be required to make restitution.

• Financial support will be provided for those who lose their income or assets.

• Christians will guard their community and call out anyone entering to do evil.

• They will stand together and pray against anyone who attempts to attack their neighbourhood.

• Some members of the community will start businesses to provide employment to others in their neighbourhood.

• If the financial system has broken down, someone will begin recording loans and lending to allow saving to flow to where they are needed.

• Someone might begin recording money transactions as a more effective alternative to barter.

This support will not be limited to Christians, but will be available to anyone committed to the neighbourhood.

Crushed and Broken Spirits

On Tuesday morning after the latest earthquake, I went for a walk around our suburb. The streets are usually empty of people and full of cars driving to work and school on a weekday morning. This Tuesday, the streets were full of people, because many work places and schools had not yet reopened. People will out with shovels and wheelbarrows, starting on the task of shoveling silt from their lawns and gardens. Where liquefaction had come up through cracked foundations, people were shovelling sandy silt out of their houses. In a few cases a bit of sewage is mixed in. This was the third time that many had undertaken this task.

I was struck by the number of broken people. Many feel like they have had enough and wanted to move away. Others just did not have the energy to start cleaning up the mess one more time. I have never seen so many shattered spirits. It left me feeling really helpless. I did not know what to say to these broken people.

1. I suppose I could have told them that God loved them, but that would be hard to accept.

2. I suppose that I could have advised them to ask Jesus into their hearts, so they could have perfect peace. But that seemed a bit trite.

3. I could have told them to go to church on Sunday. If the worship service is up to standard, they would get a lift strong enough to keep them going until the next Sunday.

4. I would love to have been able to tell them to believe in Jesus and they would be joining a community of people who love one another and pray for each; a community where people stand together sharing what they have and supporting each other; a community that shovels each others silt. Unfortunately, that community does not exist in this part of the city.

The earthquake is not my real worry. The aftershocks will fade and disappear in less than a year. But that is not the end of distress. Our nation has lost the blessing of God, so there are worse economic shocks and social distress to come. My real worry is that the the body of Christ is almost totally unprepared for the opportunities that lie ahead.

Time of Distress (17) - Suffering

During the Time of Distress, the church will suffer for Jesus. The letter to the Hebrews describes what it will be like.

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions (Heb 10:32-34).

This season will really tough for Christians, so they should be prepared to suffer. Those who follow Jesus will have to turn the other cheek again and again.

• Many will be ripped off by violent and ruthless men.

• Some who have prepared will have all their resources stolen.

• Many will starve because they have been robbed.

• Justice will be rare.

• People will be killed, because they have food, and someone stronger wants it.

• Human life will be cheap and the protection of the state will disappear.

• Suffering will lead to victory.

Prepare
Looking for the Second Coming or rapture during the Time of Distress will lead to disappointment. Instead of seeking to escape, Christians should:

• prepare for a tough time, as Satan will not give up without a fight;

• prepare for persecution;

• build strong communities where Christians will be safe;

• raise up a prophetic voice that understands the times;

• speak prophetically to the nations;

• pray for the real salvation of Israel;

• speak prophetically to the people of Israel to prepare them for faith in Jesus.

During a time of trouble, the safest place is a strong Christian community. Paul insists that we should counter evil by doing good.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21).

In the same letter, he gives instructions about building strong relationships with other Christians.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Share with God's people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:10,13,16).

The best antidote to evil is strong communities where Christians can stand together to protect those coming under attack. Those standing alone will be vulnerable.

Faithful prayer during affliction produces joyful hope.
Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer (Rom 12:12).

Cry for Community

The need for Christian community is greatest in modern cities, where migration and urbanisation have broken down traditional community relationships. Social mobility prevents stable relationships from developing and family life is breaking down. People feel like cogs in a machine and life is characterised by loneliness and personal insecurity. In this bleak environment, people are crying out for real community.

Unfortunately, most people do not see the modern church as an answer to their heart’s cry. It is seen as another institution that meets personal needs with programmes run by professionals.

A Church doing the one another stuff should be really attractive to those who are crushed and alienated by the impersonality of our modern world. Love will draw people into their community.

The church has a long experience with community, but it has generally been out of the reach of most Christians. A Christian community that is only open to an elite, or requires retreat from society, is irrelevant in the modern world. We need to bring community life down to earth, so it can function in a modern city.

• Each Church should be a Christian community. Community lifestyle will be normal for all Christians, not an optional extra for superstars and misfits.

• These communities can function in any city with whatever housing is available. Special buildings are not required and there is no need to move to the country.

• No money or assets are handed over to the Church. This eliminates a problem that has troubled many Christian communities.

• Community lifestyle will be open to everyone, regardless of their personal circumstances. Anyone will fit, provided they are committed to living the Christian lifestyle in relationship with the rest of the Church.

• Christians can live as part of a community while continuing with their existing work and interest activities.

• People will be free to choose their level of commitment and what they want to share.

• People can change their level of commitment according to their stage of life. Young single people may get really involved in community and sharing. Couples with younger children may need to withdraw slightly.

• If something goes wrong with the community, people can escape by moving to another house or “walking away” from the Church. This provides protection from the domination or control that has destroyed many Christian communities.

True community can be built in city. I can see a city that is made up of a large number of Churches that are also small communities. Each community will involve of all the Christians living in a neighbourhood or apartment building. Love for Jesus will unite them together.

Christians should be leading the way and creating residential dwellings that will support a communal lifestyle. These should use resources efficiently, so that housing becomes affordable for everyone. Ironically, the only community-style housing developed by modern property developers are retirement villages for people that are “finished living”, and gated communities for those who are “scared of living”.

Community should not be a primary goal for Christians. Our goal is to live in total obedience to Jesus in fellowship with other Christians; community should be an unintentional by-product. The first Christians did not decide to live in community. By surrendering to Jesus and committing to fellowship they became a community by default.

A Church is a community of people living in the same locality and caring for each other within strong relationships.

This full series of posts can be found at Radical Lifestyle Church.

Much of this material comes from my book Being Church Where We Live.

Benefits

Choosing to live in the same location will enable Christians who make the commitment to develop much stronger relationships and deeper fellowship.

• Living closer together makes the One Another Stuff and a sharing lifestyle much more practical.

• Spiritual protection will be more effective if Christians are closer to each other. Those who stand alone can be picked off one at a time by the evil one.

• A Church based in a neighbourhood will provide an environment where the radical demands of the gospel can be lived out in a simple, distinctive lifestyle.

• Strong Churches will supply an environment that supports family life through mutual support and economic sharing.

• People who have been really messed around by evil will receive intense emotional and spiritual support from Christians living around them.

• Poverty is a major challenge in many parts of the world. A Church could take responsibility for the poor in their neighbourhood and help them to climb out of poverty.

• In a hostile culture, community-based evangelism will be more successful than church-based evangelism. If there is only one church in the centre of town, most non-Christians will never go near it. By living together in the same locality, Church members will be on display in the neighbourhood where they live.

• Our dependence on the automobile is very risky. The Middle East is getting more unstable, as our dependence on it for oil increases. Every church leader should be thinking about how they will care for people prevented from driving to Church by an oil crisis.

• Locality-based churches will allow Tens and Hundred to emerge and societies to be restored.

Location, Location, Location

Church is something we are, not something we can attend. To be the body of Christ in the place where we live, we must live close to the rest of the body. Our Church should be a central part of our being, so we must belong where it is.

Each Church should be attached to a particular locality, so there can be as many Churches as there are different localities. Ideally, there should be one Church in each location and each location should have one Church. To have a number of different kinds of church in the same locality is inconsistent with the New Testament.

Being a Christian changes how we live;
it might also change where we live.

See Real Community.

Always a Mixture

A Christian community will always be a mixture. We must not try to exclude non-Christians from our local communities. We actually want unbelievers living among us so we can bless them, and so they can see the benefits of the Christian life.

We must not force unbelievers to live by Christian standards. Forcing people who have not experienced the love of God to love each other is pointless. However, we can expect the unbelievers among us to live by the standards of the law. If they rob or assault people, we should expect them to make restitution. If they refuse to make restitution, or refuse to give up theft and violence, we might need to ask them to move out of our community.

Community is the Best Defence

Belonging to a nation is dangerous, because another stronger nation can invade a nation. An army can conquer the parliament, the government, the military headquarter and the police. A nation can be conquered.

Belonging to a Christian community is much safer. If there are hundreds of thousands of communities in a country, an invading army cannot send a squad of soldiers into every community. They can take control of the police force, but that does not matter, because the police rarely enter most communities. They are irrelevant to most of what happens in the community.

A Christian community would be able to function unchanged. They will be able to expand out and draw their invaders in to the life of Jesus. National defence forces will never be able to defend every community. The best defence against attack belonging to a strong community.

Pivotal Time

The kingdom of man is currently building up to collapse. It has been building up its power to enormous heights, but has been unable to deliver what it has promised and is cracking at the seams. When it collapses there will be an enormous power vacuum. The group that is ready with an alternative vision will receive a great welcome. The Christian community should be getting ready for this challenge.