An Epiphany...

*I've moved, and my posts have come with me! Check out my new blog at www.jeffrey-davis.net/blog/*

Whew, long time no post. I must say, after the weight of that twelve part series (never to be done again!) the break sure was nice. Nevertheless, an interesting thing happened over the holidays. I arrived at yet a greater realization of how deep my prejudices and issues actually reside.

We as a community of faith only formally got together once over the holidays. Something inside me all along was screaming, "Oh no! This isn't right! We're not "meeting" together! Crap, we've gone astray!..." After a couple of weeks of spiraling down into the chasm of this line of thinking God gently reminded me of the journey He has set us on. He has given us a dream to be transformed into a community of faith--to be Church; not to be another segregated group of people trying their best to do church. *Disclaimer: Not to say, by any stretch of the imagination, that all local bodies of faith are as trite as the afore mentioned. In addition, I in no way speak against those that are--I pray and dream that Christ will loose them from the bonds of their "religious" law.*

As God rescued me once again from a faulty ideology instilled in me from youth (not like I'm 50 or anything--uh, actually I'm 23, but you get the picture), He patiently reminded me that community does not and cannot center on a regular meeting--or gathering, if you will. No, community is much more than that. Spending time with and tending to our individual families is a part of healthy community. Spending time in relaxation is part of healthy community. Spending time with each other outside of a weekly (or however frequently it may occur) "gathering" is part of healthy community.

Nevertheless, in addition to all these, a purposeful and specific gathering to explore and be caught up in the mysteries of God together is also a part of healthy community.