Where to Find Relational Community (#993)
The desire for deep and authentic relationships with other believers lies at the heart of our spiritual passion. And yet, that isn't always easy to find, especially if we've moved away from religious institutions. How can we establish a more organic sense of relational community with others? Kyle and Wayne discuss how genuine community is a gift God gives, not something we can organize on our own. What we can do is foster friendships with people in our lives, as the environment in which community takes hold. To do that best, we learn to recognize the pace of others around us instead of imposing our agenda on a growing friendship.
Podcast Notes:
- The video of this podcast
- Email your observations about the God Journey to Wayne or Kyle
- Wayne's blog on a new crisis in Kenya
- Full Review of It's Time
Podcast: Download
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I love the discussion about letting the relationship and journey go at their pace and God’s pace. In our impatience or fear that there’s not enough time left, we try to fast track the spiritual journey or conversion, or whatever else we may be trying to rush, instead of simply trusting God with both our lives and the lives of those he brings us into relationship with. A sad example from my own spiritual journey was about 10 years ago when I had a small group of people that I was hanging out with on a regular basis, some were Christians and some were not, but we all agreed to meet at least once a week to discuss spiritual matters. This group included people who had been hurt by previous church experiences, and people who had never been to church but were interested in spiritual issues, including a self-proclaimed wiccan. Over time these weekly meetings started to see each person opening up and discussing some deep issues in our lives sometimes even allowing an opportunity for prayer. Everything seemed to be going well till a local pastor decided to visit our meeting. After just two weeks he felt it necessary to tell the wiccan, “you have no promise of tomorrow, and if you die tonight with out accepting Jesus, you will die and burn in hell for the rest of eternity”. The wiccan never came back to one of our meetings, and eventually the whole meeting just stopped for everyone. I pulled the pastor aside and I told him that he doesn’t trust Jesus. Of course he replied that he trusted Jesus long ago. I told him I wasn’t talking about whether or not he was a Christian, but about the fact that he doesn’t trust Jesus with the life of the wiccan that he dammed to hell, that he felt he need to fast forward their spiritual journey, because he doesn’t trust Jesus do work in their life at God’s pace.
Maybe just maybe it was a perfect scenario for Jesus to use the contrast between the two different perspectives to help the Wiccan person to decide sometime down the track that religion and grace don’t mix. The fact that it disbanded ( the meeting) hopefully didn’t stop you guys getting together because of one misguided comment. Jesus is building regardless, it’s our only hope.
if they do have diet coke in coffee shops, why not try coldbrew coffee?
It’s not the heat of the beverage I detest; it’s the coffee taste. I don’t enoy it anywhere, including ice cream or chocolate cake. I know, it’s weird.
I feel compelled to let some of the listeners who might have already started something with “agenda” and didn’t know it that God will have His Way anyway. Just pause back your bus up and ask. That’s what happened in our little community in Edmond OK after a bunch of us fell out of a mega church and some began a deep dive in to deconstruction. Or Wayne’s term of pharisectomy. We found ourselves traveling a totally different journey. We have had lots of “messy” and lots of Love encounters. Mistakes will be made. True belonging is such a Grace and Gift and so good beyond the risk. Take a chance. Live a little give a lot.
I love that. Thanks for the reminder, Joni.