Haven Community Blog

 We are hoping soon, (some time later this year), to start a new faith community called Haven in the Mernda area.  Click on the picture to see the Haven blog page:

Take note, everyone -- Haven community is NOT yet active, we are still doing the groundwork! We will let everyone know when we are ready to start.

The Grittiness of Community!

Perhaps few spiritual disciplines are as misunderstood as community. We envision community as folks standing around a campfire holding hands and singing. While there may be moments of warm feelings, community as a discipline is about loving even those you prefer to ignore. It's about including people the church doesn't (seem to) need or even the disgruntled folks you secretly think the church would be better off without.

(1Cor 12:12-27) underscores the grittiness of Christian community. Individuals who have nothing in common talk and work alongside each other until some of their sharp edges are rounded off. Eventually you treasure this person who could not be more different from you. Christ insists that we need each other. And we do - the viewpoint of the other person helps us climb out of our narrow world and learn what it means to love another person just a little bit.

When CS Lewis became a Christian; he initially resisted being a part of a church. For example, he disliked the hymns, which he regarded as "fifth-rate poems." Eventually, however, Lewis began to understand that the church is not a human organization but the "Body of Christ where people share the common life, complementing and helping one another precisely by their differences." That happens as we submit to God, trusting that we really do need all these odd people, and to submit to them as well.

We often confuse Christian community with special friendships, which have different kinds of benefits and qualities. When have you experienced Christian community as described below?

Christian Community	Special Friendships
You disagree but still listen to each other	You know what the other is thinking.
You're committed to listening to God's call on each other's life.	You agree on almost everything
You're committed to praying for each other.	You say just what the other needs to hear.
Side by side with others, you give gifts of service.	You give each other special gifts.
When you're angered you walk away, process it with God and consider how God is using that person in your life.	You get upset with each other but work it out.
You have many differences with this person.	You have few differences and many similarities.
You may have no interests in common.	You love to do the same activities.
You're astounded at how God uses such ordinary relationships in your life.	You're astounded at what good friends you are.